The sea, Jane Austen, and me

Published 16:47 on 9 Mar 2016

Weymouth Sailing ClubÄôs very own novelist, Jane ÄòLizzieÄô Church, has been invited to give a talk at WeymouthÄôs first ÄòLeviathanÄô maritime literary festival, to be held at venues along Weymouth riverside on the weekend of 12-13 March 2016. With a title of ÄòThe sea, Jane Austen and meÄô, JaneÄôs talk will explore the maritime influences on the novels of Jane Austen, and how these, in their turn, have impacted on her own, more modest, works. Along the way she will be looking at the many challenges faced by historical novelists Äì and some of the tricks and techniques she uses to overcome them.As Jane says: ÄòA historical novelist is like a detective Äì seeking out clues to help solve a problem. But, unlike a detective (hopefully!), the novelist uses her findings to provide a framework for pure fiction. So, where does fact turn into fiction? What happens when the clues lead to dead ends? How did Jane Austen cope when she ran into difficulties? How can a writer in the 21st century write convincingly about being in the thick of a 19th century naval engagement Äì or even about everyday life on board a square-rigged man oÄôwar?Äô JaneÄôs talk is scheduled for 5 pm on Saturday 12 March and will be held at the Old Rooms on Trinity Street. Tickets are available from the Weymouth Leviathan website http://weymouthleviathan.org.uk/ or from Royal Dorset Yacht Club. Use the code WeyLevBFF on the ticketing site for a 20% discount on the already-modest fee.

Last updated 15:13 on 28 July 2025