London calling
the jane austen society
of the uk
by m arily njoiceS
uch is the love and enthusiasm for
Jane Austen, straddling time and
continents, that a Maori greeting in
deepest Knightsbridge served only to
tantalise the London Group: “Kia Ora Katou.
Ko Frances Duncan taku ingoa. Te whanau a
Apanui te iwi.”
And what was our speaker, Frances
Duncan, from New Zealand, actually saying?
“Hi everyone. My name is Frances Duncan.
My tribe is Te whanau a Apanui.
Jane Austen has a dedicated readership
in New Zealand and Frances is the founder
of the Jane Austen Society of New Zealand,
which she set up in 2014. She was one of the
excellent speakers whom the London Group
enjoyed in 2018.
The New Zealand Society is based
in Wellington for the South Island and
Auckland for the North. The remoteness
and geography of New Zealand means
that most contact is through the internet- yes, shades of the flying doctor. Her
presence strengthened the London Group’s
connection with the Antipodes. Frances
was encouraged to be the pioneer in New
Zealand by Susannah Fullerton, president
of the Jane Austen Society of Australia, who
has visited the London Group in the past.
Frances, who also proved to be an excellent
and enlightening speaker, gave her address in
spring 2018 at one of the group’s whole day
events, which included the AGM.
The year began with the appropriately
named Amy Frost, who spoke on ‘Jane
Austen and architecture’. Amy has a
particularly close connection to the London
Group because she is heavily involved with
research and organisation at No 1 The Royal
Crescent, Bath, which is open to the public.
Our chairman is also involved because
the house was once home to her family’s
ancestors.
Our patron is Professor John Mullan,
an important contemporary critic of Jane
Austen who regularly appears on national
media. When the London Group gets
requests for information or comment about
Jane Austen – such as the decision to put her
image on the £10 note – he is always our first
port of call.
The London Group aims every year to
have four days with multiple speakers; to
have at least one trip to sites connected toFrances Duncan, centre, founder of the
Jane Austen Society of New Zealand, with
Barbara Calderbank and Hellen Blackwell,
members of the London Group committee