Posts by Syrie James
Jane Austen in 89 Minutes is a Smash Hit!
I’m thrilled to announce that my play, “Jane Austen in 89 Minutes,” opened on Sept. 20 at Theatre 40, Beverly Hills’ award-winning professional theatre company, and is a smash hit! The play runs for one more week, and has been getting rave reviews: “Jane Austen fans are guaranteed to go gaga for Jane Austen…
Read MoreMy Austen and Brontë Speaking Tour to Australia and New Zealand
I recently had the honor of speaking to two organizations in Sydney: The Jane Austen Society of Australia and the Australian Brontë Association. This was my first trip Down Under, and I enjoyed every minute. It began with an unforgettable 2-week tour of New Zealand (pix at the end of this post). It was…
Read MoreMy new comedy JANE AUSTEN IN 48 MINUTES by Syrie James
(UPDATED December 23, 2023) I’ve had a wonderful time this year presenting and performing in four staged readings of my new original comedy JANE AUSTEN IN 48 MINUTES with three different casts. The play features a cheeky and wise Jane Austen as narrator and a cast of costumed actors who play 47…
Read MoreSyrie James at the Jane Austen Festival in Bath
I had the thrill of a lifetime participating in the Jane Austen Festival this month in Bath, England. It is the largest and longest-running Jane Austen Festival in the world and draws many thousands of people every year. The festivities started off on Saturday Sept. 9 with a Regency Costumed Promenade through the streets…
Read MoreCelebrating My Jane Austen Novels with The Enchanted Book Club
I was honored to be the guest author this weekend at The Enchanted Book Club’s first-ever in-person event and book signing, and it was like something out of a fairy tale! I couldn’t resist posing with Colin Firth, my favorite Mr. Darcy. If you’re a fan of classic literature and historical fiction novels and…
Read MoreSUMMER RECOMMENDED READING
Summer is the perfect time to dive into a juicy novel. I’m a fan of many genres including historical and contemporary fiction, Christian and inspirational fiction, mystery, suspense, thrillers, and romance. For me, it isn’t about the newest books on the market—it’s about an engaging, page-turning story that’s so well-written, it stays with…
Read MoreLadies of the Lake by Cathy Gohlke — a Book Review
From the desk of Syrie James I just read an advance copy of the most wonderful novel, “Ladies of the Lake” by Cathy Gohlke, and I wanted to share. I was hooked from the first chapter. There are so many suspenseful threads and need-to-know questions between the story in the 1930s and the earlier…
Read MoreEMILY film review — an impassioned biopic of Wuthering Heights author Emily Brontë
In the film EMILY, Emma Mackey brings Emily Brontë to vivid life in writer/director Frances O’Connor’s thrilling blend of fact and fiction. Emily Brontë is something of a mystery. When she tragically died at age 30 of tuberculosis, she left behind few preserved letters, and no diary to reveal her private thoughts and…
Read MoreJane Austen & Regency Christmas Traditions
It is fascinating to look back at Christmas during Jane Austen’s lifetime. Some of the customs we associate with the holiday, such as Christmas trees, Christmas cards, and Santa Claus, didn’t exist until many years later. But Jane Austen’s Christmas was equally as merry as the one we celebrate today. Read on for a…
Read MoreMy Adventures at the JASNA AGM (Jane Austen Society Annual General Meeting) in Victoria
I had a fabulous time at the JASNA AGM (Jane Austen Society of North America Annual General Meeting) in Victoria, Canada two weeks ago. The weather was perfect, the company delightful, and the city beautiful and welcoming. The theme of this year’s JASNA conference was Sense and Sensibility in the City of Gardens. There…
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