Austen Ablaze: the destruction of Jane Austen’s letters
Dr Zoe Screti
Online Event
- This event has passed.
This online talk is part of the Jane Austen Festival.
The burning of Austen’s letters by her sister, Cassandra, is one of the most notable moments of literary vandalism in history. Join historian Dr Zoe Screti as she explores Cassandra’s motivations. From desires to uphold Austen’s reputation, turning witty words unbefitting a woman of sense and delicate sensibilities to ash before she could become subject to prejudice, through Austen being the object of Cassandra’s envy, to the persuasions of Austen herself to maintain her privacy (there are secrets in all families, after all!), she’ll unpack the leading theories about what really caused Cassandra to shape Austen’s legacy forever.
Please note that the ticket you are purchasing allows you to watch this talk live & online via the BRLSI website at the time stated only (all times are UK times). The talk will not be recorded or available to watch at a future time.
In-person tickets for the talk are on sale via the Jane Austen Festival website.
Instructions on how to watch online will be detailed on your ticket confirmation email; please read them carefully as you will need to log in to the BRLSI website again at the time of the talk (we do not send out Zoom codes). If you have any queries about watching online, contact BRLSI on reception@brlsi.org.
All other queries can be directed to the Jane Austen Festival.
PostScript Books are returning as sponsors of the Jane Austen Festival for 2026, as well as being the official Festival bookseller for the first time! Postscript have curated lists of suggested books… perfect for all those who just can’t wait for September to start learning about the topics we’ll be covering throughout the Jane Austen Festival.
Follow this link to be taken to the PostScript Books website, where you can find the themed book collections they have put together for each talk.
