In this lecture of our Asia & the Regency series, Dr. Markman Ellis analyzes tea as a multi-faceted concept: a commodity sourced from Asia; a prepared hot beverage; a social event in which tea is consumed; and an ideological construct associated with politeness and the social behaviors of the middling classes. Austen’s fictions cast light on each of these aspects of the performance of tea-taking in Britain, that social ceremony now known as the British ‘way of tea.'

In the final event of our Asia & the Regency series, we learn about Buddhism and what Austen can teach us about the Four Noble Truths with a special talk from Dr. Kathryn Duncan (St. Leo University). Like Buddhism, Austen's novels explore both suffering and happiness. This talk will introduce a unique and novel approach to reading our old Austenian favorites in a new way, which is further explored in Dr. Duncan's new book Jane Austen and the Buddha (2021).

Award-winning author and professor emerita Dr. Karen Tei Yamashita discusses her book Sansei and Sensibility (Coffee House Press 2020). "Sansei" refers to third-generation Japanese Americans whose grandparents typically immigrated to the US in the early twentieth century. Dr. Yamashita discusses her relationship with Austen in the context of her own experiences. Last year, Dr. Yamashita was awarded the National Book Foundation's Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, and we are excited to host her for this talk!

In this lecture Alexandra Loske outlines the story of how the Chinoiserie interiors of the Royal Pavilion were created, what inspired George IV, his architects, and interior designers, and what happened to the objects, fittings, and decorative surfaces after the sale of the building in 1850. Image credit for thumbnail: 'Kylin' Clock (RCIN 2867) and candelabra (RCIN 2736) in the Royal Pavilion's Saloon, lent by Her Majesty The Queen from 2019 to 2022, Photo: Jim Holden for the Royal Pavilion & Museums Trust, Brighton & Hove.

In the seventh lecture of our Asia & the Regency series, Dr. Haruko Takakuwa introduces us to a fascinating production of Pride and Prejudice titled Angel's Ladder as performed by Japan's renowned all-female theater troupe the Takarazuka Revue. For Takarazuka, Pride and Prejudice provides an ideal, genteel romance plot between Elizabeth and Darcy through which to appeal to their predominantly female audience.

In this sixth lecture of our Asia & the Regency series, Barnita Bagchi focuses on Austen's early work "Catharine, or the Bower" in relation to the writer's family connection with India, through her aunt Phildelphia and cousin Eliza. After this, the lecture considers the life and oeuvre of Kashibai Kanitkar (1861-1948), pioneering woman novelist in Marathi, and the Austenian resonances in her oeuvre. Finally, Dr. Bagchi analyzes Austenian resonances in the novels of Anita Desai and Vikram Seth, and Gurinder Chadha's film Bride and Prejudice (2004).

In the fifth event in our Asia & the Regency series, Dr. Tristanne Connolly (St. Jerome's University at the University of Waterloo) discusses the film Aisha, an Hindi-language adaptation of Emma that brings Jane Austen to Delhi.

For our fourth event in the Asia & the Regency series, Dr. Noriyuki Harada (Keio University) explores popular translations and adaptations of Pride and Prejudice in Japan from movies to comic books.

For the third event in our Asia & the Regency series, Professor Peter Sabor discusses eighteenth century author Horace Walpole and the depiction of China in his Hieroglyphic Tales to explore the representation of Chinese life in English texts.

For our second event in the Asia & the Regency series, we're welcoming back fashion historian Hilary Davidson for another fascinating talk on Regency dress. This talk explores the origins of the Indian textile and its global influences on fashion, including the fashion of Regency England.

In the first event of this year's Asia & the Regency series, we're welcoming our new co-host Kimiyo Ogawa (Sophia University) with a special talk on Japanese writer Natsume Soseki and his influences from Jane Austen. Dr. Ogawa is also the co-editor of the upcoming volume Austen and Asia, and her talked proved to be an exciting opportunity to learn about innovative Austen scholarship right from the source.