This year marks the 250th birthday of Jane Austen, the beloved British novelist whose stories have been retold through countless television shows, plays and movies.
And though we’re an ocean away, Ohioans will celebrate her legacy this weekend. The Heritage Village Museum and Educational Center outside of Cincinnati is hosting this weekend’s Jane Austen Festival.
“She has this enduring legacy because all of her books are classics,” said Bethany Jewell, marketing coordinator with the historical center. “There are just so many different themes that she touches upon in her novels that are really still relevant today.”
The festival is expected to attract people from more than 35 states and several countries. There will be presentations on nearly every facet of Austen’s fiction: from the “Undressing Mr. Darcy” workshop, which will educate on men’s period clothing, to a lecture on Austen’s portrayal of aging.
The event will delve into the Regency Era that Austen lived through and depicted in her novels. The festival will offer dance troupes, horseback riding, duels and, of course, a ball.
“Everything you need to really feel like you are living in Jane Austen's world,” Jewell said.
Global influence
During Austen’s time, her now-famous six novels weren’t widely acclaimed. She was published anonymously and only earned a small portion of sales from her books. It wasn’t until after she died that her reputation began to grow globally.
Now, her widely read works like “Pride and Prejudice” and “Sense and Sensibility” have garnered fans from across the globe and inspired international conferences and associations.
Last fall, Cleveland hosted the Jane Austen Society North America (JASNA) conference, attracting more than 600 “Jane-ites” to the northeast Ohio city.
Ohio has its own JASNA branch, which hosts balls and reading groups to honor the author.
“People are just romanticized by the era and just enjoy learning about it and connecting with it,” Jewell said.
A Regency Era revival
Regardless of whether you’re a fan of “Emma” or “Mansfield Park”, or whether you prefer Colin Firth or Matthew McFayden’s portrayal of Mr. Darcy, Jewell said all can agree that Austen’s stories have staying power.
“They all speak to the human experience. There's themes of love and romance. The same reason that a lot of people love to watch Hallmark movies – they just kind of give them that warm feeling – Austen has that same way that she touches her readers,” she said.
As series like “Bridgerton” continue to draw inspiration from Austen and bring modern spins on her stories, Jewell said attention to Austen only continues to grow.
She hopes the festival brings more people to wonder about what life was like in Ohio during the same time period and to explore the real history behind the fiction.
