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Hawaiʻi fans celebrate Jane Austen's 250th birthday

Hawaiʻi Public Radio | By Maddie Bender
Published December 2, 2025 at 1:48 PM HST
A depiction of Jane Austen.
Jane Austen Society of North America
A depiction of Jane Austen.

Fans of Jane Austen are celebrating the English novelist’s 250th birthday this weekend, with a day of regency-era festivities at the Hawaiʻi State Library.

Bob Newell founded the Hawaiʻi region of JASNA, which stands for the Jane Austen Society of North America. He and current President Cheryl Ernst spoke with The Conversation about their ties to Jane Austen, starting with their first introductions to her work.

From left to right: Bob Newell, HPR's Maddie Bender, and Cheryl Ernst.
HPR
From left to right: Bob Newell, HPR's Maddie Bender, and Cheryl Ernst.

A celebration of Jane Austen’s 250th birthday will be held Saturday, Dec. 6. For event information, click here.

This story aired on The Conversation on Dec. 2, 2025. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. 
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The Conversation LiteratureHistory
Maddie Bender
Maddie Bender is the executive producer of The Conversation. She also provided production assistance on HPR's "This Is Our Hawaiʻi" podcast. Contact her at mbender@hawaiipublicradio.org.
See stories by Maddie Bender
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