Hello again, dear readers! Today marks a very special occasion in recent Jane Austen Summer Program history—exactly one year ago today, I began the Janeite Spotlight project with my very own feature article. Woohoo! In the last year, the Janeite Spotlight project has become one of JASP’s most beloved article series, and to celebrate our first anniversary, we’re giving you a special treat: the first Janeite Spotlight article of 2025 will feature Caroline Jane Knight, Jane Austen’s fifth-great niece! Be sure to catch it here on the Jane Austen Summer Program blog.
But before we venture too far into the new year, I want us to dedicate a moment to the amazing Janeites we met in 2024. From “Bookstagrammers” to best-selling authors—from musicians to academics, translators, and seamstresses—we’ve been lucky enough to meet a plethora of Austen fans from all corners of the world. If you missed any of their stories the first time around, here is your chance to catch up!
We began the Janeite Spotlight series with an introduction to Char Jones, a social media influencer with a passion for Jane Austen and historical fiction. Later that month, we also met Zeina Makky, former JASP blogger; Rhonda Watts, Austen-based TikTok influencer and hopeful author of a book on Austen in popular culture; Mindy Killgrove-Harris, a writer and passionate Austen-lover who recently joined the JASP blogging team (read her latest article on introducing Jane Austen to young readers here!); and Sharon Hansen, whose connection to Austen's fiction helped her overcome a significant personal tragedy.
As the year progressed, professional pianists Donna Chaff and Laura Klein gave us an inside-look at their Jane Austen-inspired musical projects. We learned what it takes to become a traditionally published Austen-adjacent author with J. C. Peterson and Alice McVeigh, and we discussed the art of Austen-adjacent translation with Cristy Huelsz. Bookstagrammers, bloggers, and other content creators—including folks like Sarah Oakey-Kirkwood, Sarah Adams, Meredith Ammons, Damianne Scott, and Susan Tailby—wowed us with their efforts to preserve Austen’s legacy in the digital age.
We met Ceci Matatics, the 2nd place winner of JASP’s 2023 National Writing Contest for high school students; Dolores Fallon, a traveling blogger who embarked upon an Austen-themed English road trip in 2013; Jillian Alexander, a delightfully gothic Janeite whose semi-regular “Jane Austen Days” have resulted a deeply personal relationship to Austen’s fiction; and Dr. Amanda Gelber, whose research interests include diversity and inclusion in Regency-era pamphlets.
We also heard from Janeites holding leadership positions in local and national Austen-based organizations, including Annette Cheney-Williams, Angela Kuempel, Harriet Jordan, and Jane Austen & Company’s very own Technical Director, Na’dayah Pugh. Lastly, but certainly not least, Judy Tyrer and Georgie Castilla gave us a glimpse into their respective creative processes as a video game developer and costume-designer-slash-comic-writer-and-illustrator, while YouTubing seamstress Tiffany Gayle introduced us to her Austen-inspired fashion line.
Dearest readers, we simply couldn't have asked for a more fabulous line-up of original thinkers, creatives, and fans!
On a personal note, I never imagined the Janeite Spotlight project would grow into such a beloved staple of the Jane Austen Summer Program blog. With every interview, I am touched by the immense love and dedication each participant demonstrates toward Jane Austen's fiction, Austen herself, and their broader Janeite community. I can’t tell you how honored and proud I am to have been given the opportunity to bring this series to life.
Thank you so much, dear readers, for all of your support. And as we forge ahead into this new year, I only ask one thing of you: please, readers, keep reading!
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