As we are coming to the end of Jane Austen Month on the blog here (it seems crazy that Saturday will be 31 May), I thought I would do a bit of a fun post to finish off and maybe give a little bit more insight into me! (We do have another Book Bite on Wednesday.) While I’m quite fortunate to have done many Austen-related things, there are still many more that I want to tackle. So, this is my Jane Austen bucket list!
My Jane Austen Bucket List
I’ve happily already visited Bath, and I was able to check off several items on that trip. Literally walking where she walked, seeing the Pump Room, the Assembly Rooms, the Long Walk, the Crescent, all of it was incredible! However, there are many things that I’ve still got left to do.
Read Mansfield Park
This is obviously an easy one to tackle but somewhat embarrassing for an Janeite. I will admit, I had to read Mansfield Park in a university literature course and I found it felt so different from her other works that I just stopped reading it. However, I think I owe it to both Jane and myself to read it completely. I haven’t decided if it will be a physical book, ebook, or audiobook, but I will read it this summer!
Visit Winchester Cathedral
I will hopefully also be tackling this Jane Austen item in 2025! In November, I am heading back to London for a trip with my mom and I have planned to spend one of my days going out to Winchester to see where Jane is buried in Winchester Cathedral. (Although I have seen her stone in Westminster Abbey, this feels different.) I am also hoping to wander by 8 College Street where she spent her final days. You can’t actually go in as it is part of Winchester College but it still seems important to visit.
Attend a Jane Austen Society Event
At some point in my life, I think that I will try to join my local Jane Austen Society branch. I do not have time for regular meetings at this point and time, though. So, my goal is to hopefully attend a public event put on by a Jane Austen Society. I’ve seen that many across the world organise different lectures, conventions, and events- it might not be right away, but I have faith I can find one that fits my interests!
Visit Chawton House (Jane Austen House Museum)
I recognise that most people would visit Chawton House when they are in Winchester, but I’m still not sure if I will be able to do that on this trip. I won’t have a vehicle and I will be by myself, as someone who has a TERRIBLE sense of direction and can get lost anywhere. From what I’ve read online, you can get there from Winchester via various public buses and walking or taking a cab, but I am fairly concerned that I will still get lost. I also think I am okay waiting for when I can go and spend the whole day there without worrying about catching a train back!
Visit the Jane Austen Festival in Bath
While I’ve obviously been to Bath, I have not been in September for the Jane Austen Festival. I know that it seems a little over the top to some but I think it would be fantastic to be at the festival, at least once. The festival lets Janeites celebrate their interest and to immerse themselves, if only for a weekend. And as I’ve come to learn in the last few years, that is pretty rare in the adult world!
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Want more Jane Austen?
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My Favourite Austen-ish Period Dramas
The Best Jane Austen Biography Books and Sources
The Best Jane Austen 250th Anniversary Books
Book Bite: The Friendly Jane Austen
Book Bite: What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew
What items are on your Jane Austen bucket list?
Cheers,
The Historian
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