Jane Austen Society of North America
Puget Sound Region
Program of Events
2025 Upcoming Programs
June Meeting
June 8, 2025 at 2:00 p.m.
Stimson-Green Mansion
1204 Minor Avenue, Seattle
What would Jane Austen's mother's baby shower have been like?
Throughout 2025 folks around the world are celebrating the 250th birthday of Jane Austen - but - she will not be born until December 16! Therefore, we decided to make the June meeting a Baby Shower theme!
We don't really know very much about baby showers in 1775 (they probably did not happen at all!). Nevertheless we want to celebrate the anticipated happy event for the Austen family.
We will have a very short presentation about what was done in preparation for a birth in the family of a proper English clergyman. We will learn what gifts (if any) someone might "expect while expecting" in the late 18th century.
Then the fun begins. We are asking everyone to think about what gift you would like to bring to Mrs. Austen if this were a real baby shower. Just thoughts please (or write them down and send them if in you cannot attend).
NO ACTUAL SHOWER GIFTS PLEASE. We will all tell (or have read out) our ideas for the perfect gifts and explain how we imagine we would have acquired these gifts and why we choose those gifts for Mrs. Austen.
Remember, this is supposed to be fun as well as educational so gag gifts are (virtually) welcome. Only your imagination is stopping you. Let's have fun with this!
Instead of our usual tea party after the presentation we will have a baby shower cake, and whatever savory tea fixings the volunteer food hosts want to bring.
August 17, 2025
Bellevue Botanical Garden
Our meeting will be at 2 p.m.
The Bellevue Botanical Gardens are open and free from dawn to dusk
so plan to make a day of it and enjoy the full gardens
before our 2 o'clock meeting in the Aaron Education Center.
October Meeting
We are working out details for a meeting in October after the AGM
Saturday, December 6, 2025
We are planning and all day event
celebrating the 250th anniversary of the birth of Jane Austen
capped with a
Regency Ball in the evening.
Save the Date!
We have reserved the Women's University Club in downtown Seattle. More details soon!
Past Meetings
Persuasion - The Cancelled Chapters
Sunday April 13, 2025
Greenlake Branch of the Seattle Public Library
We know that on July 8, 1816, Jane Austen began what she called Chapter 10 of the second volume of Persuasion. On the last page of Chapter 11 she wrote "Finish July 18 1816". The original ending was first published by Austen's nephew and biographer, J. Edward Austen-Leigh in his A Memoir of Jane Austen.
The cancelled chapters are the only manuscript from any of the six novels that we have in original form -- crossings-out, emendations and all. The fragment is now in the British Museum.
We read and discussed the cancelled Chapter 10 as well as Chapters 10 through 12 as published.
Christmas Traditions in Jane Austen's Time
Sunday, December 8, 2024
December is the time when we gather together to celebrate Jane Austen's birthday! While it is always a festive event for the life of Jane Austen, being in December also reminds us of the holidays. Our program was a look at Christmas celebrations in the time of Jane Austen. Agnes Gawne, regaled us with stories of Christmas traditions Jane might have experienced.
We will raise our glasses to toast Jane Austen with sherry or cider. As ever, Regency attire is always admired, never required.
