A recent introduction in the Janeite calendar is the Jane Austen Summer Program held every year in June at UNC Chapel Hill in June. I recently became aware of the program via Ted Scheinman’s Camp Austen: My Life as an Accidental Jane Austen Superfan, which I reviewed favorably a few weeks back, as this is the festival that figures prominently in his book. While I’ve been interested in going to the AGMs for years, it’s always been a matter of time and money. Anyone in fandoms knows being a superfan is expensive and time consuming but JASP seems to be more up my alley.
Anywho! Yes, Jane Austen Summer Program! The program is inspired by the Dickens Universe at UC Santa Cruz which has been happening for over 30 years! For JASP, “Austen as a lingua franca: that commonality between the academics and fans where scholarship can expand (and yes fun can be had)” (note: I just quoted myself from my book review).
Perhaps JASP can put it a bit more directly,
Our 4-day symposium focuses on one of Austen’s works each summer. The Jane Austen Summer Program is designed to appeal to established scholars, high school teachers, graduate students, undergraduate students, and anyone with a passion for all things Austen.
The event takes place at Carrboro and Chapel Hill, North Carolina on June 14 – 17 (a solid month before JASNA Louisville yearly festival). This year the theme is Northanger Abbey & Frankenstein: 200 Years of Horror. Registration is already open and they are packing a lot into a four-day schedule!
Please check JASP’s website for information on travel, lodgings, events, and more.
