“Literacy is a fundamental thing”
In this issue, Pride and Possibilities editor Sophie Spruce discusses this year’s Parade for Literacy and Jane Austen Regency Picnic, hosted by Caroline Jane Knight and the Foundation at Regency Week.
It was a deliciously warm day as a crowd gathered outside Jane Austen’s home for the fifth annual Parade for Literacy. The parade, one of the many events at Jane Austen Regency Week, is hosted by Caroline Jane Knight as a fundraiser for the Jane Austen Literacy Foundation.
Caroline Jane Knight talking to the crowd at the beginning of the Parade for Literacy
“The parade,” Caroline Jane Knight said, “retraces Jane’s footsteps from her cottage in the middle of the village up to the big house, her brother’s house, where she would have gone to borrow books from our family library.”
Every year, a pilgrimage is made from Jane’s House to the churchyard at Chawton where Jane Austen’s statue rests. Everyone dressed in their best Regency attire. The ladies wore dresses with long flowing skirts, spencers—a 19th century jacket—, bonnets, and parasols, while the men donned breeches, waistcoats, and tailcoats. The group made their way up through Chawton from Jane Austen’s home, enjoying the shade of the overhanging trees until they came upon the drive which revealed Chawton House.
The Parade walking to the Churchyard, at the front of Chawton House
The short walk was filled with happy chatter and smiles, and when the group arrived, they gathered outside St. Nicholas Church for a photograph beside the statue before heading up to the barn for the Jane Austen Regency Picnic.
Group photo outside St. Nicholas Church
The picnic, also an annual event, is hosted on the grounds of Chawton House. Groups of people left St. Nicholas Church and crossed the meadow, which is surrounded by woodlands, to 16th century Dyers Barn where the picnic was held.
Picnic baskets made by the Chawton House kitchen included a chicken basket (similar to a quiche), lemon syllabub—a popular British confection from the 16th to 19th century made of curdled sweet cream or milk—, fresh strawberries, queen cakes, lavender shortbread with lemon glaze, and homemade lemonade. People happily spread on the lawn with their blankets, arranging dresses and jackets as they sat to enjoy either a picnic basket purchased with their ticket or a picnic they had brought, while the winner of the 2023 Writing Competition was announced.
Regency Picnic
The Writing Competition is held annually for both new and experienced writers with the three finalists’ stories being published and recorded as an audiobook by multi-award-winning Austen audiobook narrator (and Foundation ambassador), Alison Larkin. The three finalists are chosen by an esteemed panel of judges, including Helena Kelly (Foundation ambassador and author of Jane Austen, The Secret Radical), who announced this year’s winner: Small Print by Faith Cobaine, who happened, coincidentally, to be the only finalist in attendance at the picnic. As a special treat, Alison had come from the US for the picnic and read the winning story aloud, to the delight and amusement of the crowd.
Left to right, Alison Larkin, Caroline Jane Knight, Faith Cobaine, and Helena Kelly
This year also featured keynote speaker, Gill Hornby, the Foundation’s newest Ambassador, and best selling author of Miss Austen and Godmersham Park. Gill’s research of the Austen Knight family is impeccable and attendees enjoyed a sneak peek at Hornby’s next book about elopement of Mary Natchbull, Fanny Knight’s stepdaughter, and Edward Knight in 1825. Although the day ended in showers, which brough relief to the heat wave that weekend, nothing could rain out participants’ enthusiasm as they rushed for cover in the barn where a gentle downfall accompanied the closing statement of the day.
Gill Hornby at Dyers Barn, Chawton House
My mom, Rita Spruce, and I were so incredibly thankful to be able to travel to be a part of this year’s events, wearing our own Regency dresses and traveling among the places Jane once lived. We had so much fun exploring Jane’s garden, a magical experience that connected me back to my childhood love of The Secret Garden, as well as seeing the house and grounds at Chawton.
Sophie Spruce and Rita Spruce at Jane Austen’s House
I’m so grateful to have had this opportunity and for the warm welcome I received from Caroline. It was so wonderful to meet new friends who all love the same thing. It was an inspiring trip both after seeing the Foundation’s hard work and being in the same place that, over 200 years ago, Jane was writing her novels.
At the Foundation, we believe in connecting through literacy, and while we unite over a love of Jane, we also unite over a common goal of promoting literacy worldwide. This year’s proceeds from the parade and picnic will be used to fund a teacher’s salary for a year at Schools for Syria, a charity introduced to the Foundation by our 2022 Writing Competition winner, Sheila Walker. Schools for Syria was established by Irish priest, Father William Stewart, in 2013 with the purpose of educating Syrian refugee children who would otherwise not receive an education. Over the past ten years, the Foundation has worked to fund literacy projects in developing communities such as India, Syria, Ghana, remote Indigenous Australia, and 100% of donations are spent on literacy projects.
Sheila Walker talking about Schools for Syria
The Jane Austen Literacy Foundation “believes in literacy and just how important that is for every child in the world to know how to read and write. It is just such a fundamental thing and makes the difference between…being able to interact and navigate the world and not,” Caroline said at the picnic. “Thankfully, the Jane Austen community is such a fantastic, generous, and wonderful group of people.”
Through that community we have been able to and will continue to fund literacy projects, so that children across the world will receive basic education.
© Sophie Spruce 2023, Editor of Pride and Possibilities
NEW! ‘Darcy and Elizabeth’ Personalised Collectable Bookplates
We are delighted to launch the latest in our collection of collectable bookplates, personalised with your name in Jane Austen’s handwriting.
Designed by Dutch artist Lakshmi Fransen, these beautiful bookplates come as a pair, and are made in silhouette style in homage to its popularity in Jane’s time and to leave room for your imagination.
Nominate the name you would like on the bookplates (they make a great gift for book lovers) and they will be sent to you as a digital image within 3 days.
To view our bookplate collections and purchase our newest editions, click below: