JASA
The Jane Austen Society of Australia Inc.
The JASA calendar has events nearly every month, with meetings in Sydney and other capitals and regional areas, an annual Conference, and a Christmas lunch. There are also two online events – an international lecture and a study morning.
calendar of events
Please note that the below calendar does not include all regional meetings. Full details are provided for Sydney meetings; for some regions dates are included but not details; and others are not on the calendar. If you are interested in a particular region, you can find contact details on the regional meetings page of this site.
JASA Christmas Lunch 2026
For full details and booking forms, please go to https://jasa.com.au/2026-christmas-luncheon-and-jane-austens-birthday/.
Sydney meeting
“Liberté, égalité, sororité et la mode”: How the French Revolution shaped Regency Fashion
Professor Chris Browne
For hundreds of years, changes in fashion in England and France have been inextricably linked. The French Revolution and the fall of the monarchy led to an upheaval in fashion history, which was led by three brave and extraordinary women who established revolutionary styles. Professor Chris Browne will lead us through this “costume drama” and […]
ONLINE International lecture
Austen Years: A Memoir in Five Novels
Dr Rachel Cohen
Dr Rachel Cohen is the author of Austen Years: A Memoir in Five Novels, published in 2020. This is a work of both memoir and literary criticism about a difficult time in her life when she read only Jane Austen, and what she learned from doing so. Rachel is Professor of Practice in the Arts […]
Sydney meeting
What’s the matter with Mr Woodhouse?
Harriet Jordan
Mr Woodhouse is often described as a hypochondriac, but is that really the case? Jane Austen uses the word ‘valetudinarian’, yet even that doesn’t fully encompass the nuances of his personality and behaviours. In this talk, Harriet Jordan will explore what really is the matter with Mr Woodhouse, and consider how a closer examination of […]
Weekend conference
Pride and Prejudice for every generation
Current speakers include Marie-Laure Massei-Chamayou, Justine Cousin, Linda Troost, Sayre Greenfield, Joanna Butler.
Sydney meeting
Jane Austen and the Power of Fiction
Judith Bonzol
The 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth was celebrated in 2025 with an extraordinary range of events that affirmed her enduring significance as a novelist and cultural icon. Her works continue to shape and inspire universal storytelling, and in this talk, Judith Bonzol will reflect on how her fiction captivates, challenges and unites audiences worldwide. […]
Sydney meeting
Pens and Prejudice
Xavier Shea
The postal service was the internet of the age and enabled social connections to flourish. This talk focuses on the importance of written correspondence in the Austen novels and how this actually took place. It will examine the state of letter writing in the Regency Period: the quills, inks and quality of paper used, how […]
Sydney meeting
Grave business: Dissection in Jane Austen’s England
Jackie Dent
In Jane Austen’s lifetime, the dead were currency. Surgeons needed bodies to train on and as the only ones available were hanged murderers, they turned to body snatchers. In this talk, Dr Jackie Dent looks at the world of dissection through the Georgian period, tracing how crucial reforms around this time paved the way for whole body […]
JASA Christmas Lunch 2027
Cost and details to come.
No event found!