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Join us for a fab evening with writers talking about their fascination with Austen - at the launch of a new anthology with readings and a Q&A. Refreshments provided. (Dress Up Optional!)

Authors April de Angelis, Katie Lumsden, Mary Hamer, Jen Francis and Caitlin Grills and poets Zita Holbourne, Karenjit Sandhu and Kim Bailey will talk and read from their work. Academic Jennie Batchelor and editor Cheryl Robson will discuss the process of writing and editing the new book Encounters with Jane Austen which includes over 30 writers and artists. It presents a delightful blend of both contemporary and classic works, accompanied by humorous illustrations and timeless quotes from Jane Austen herself.

This volume also showcases notable contributors such as Bridgerton author Julia Quinn, actor and writer Talulah Riley, bestselling author Charlie Lovett, and two Pulitzer Prize-winning poets, Edna St Vincent Millay and Sara Teasdale.

Reviews:

"…A veritable smorgasbord for fans of Austen, as artists, poets, and writers come together to explore why, at 250, Jane is still inspiring, enthralling and infuriating us."
– Helena Kelly, author The Worlds of Jane Austen

" Reading Encounters is like discussing Austen with your best friends if your friends group were to include the likes of Julia Quinn and Natalie Jenner among many other talented authors." – Mary Mintz, Associate Librarian Emerita, American University

"Fizzing with originality and creative energy, each contributor reveals their own deeply personal encounter with Austen's work, finding new relevance and importance in the great novelist en route." – Hannah Grieg, historian, author and film consultant.