Jane Austen and Performance explores, for the first time, the performative and theatrical force of Austen’s
work and its afterlife, from the nineteenth century to the present. It unearths
new and little-known Austen materials: from suffragette novels and pageants to
school and amateur theatricals, passing through mid-twentieth-century
representations in Scotland and America. The book concludes with an examination of Austen fandom based on an online
survey conducted by the author, which elicited over 300 responses from fans
across the globe. Through the lens of performative theory, this book explores how
Austen, her work and its afterlives, have aided the formation of collective and
personal identity; how they have helped bring people together across the
generations; and how they have had key psychological, pedagogical and
therapeutic functions for an ever growing audience. Ultimately, Jane Austen and Performance explains why
Austen remains the most beloved author in English Literature.