The year 2025 marked the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth, yet Austen seems to be only increasing in cultural relevance on a global scale. This panel at the NeMLA conference in Pittsburgh, March 5-8, 2026 explores Jane Austen-related texts – including films, streaming, novels, graphic novels etc. - of the twenty-first century, including…

• Representing Jane Austen and her family ex. film/ novel Miss Austen,
• Rebooting Jane Austen’s works in new genres ex. Death Comes to Pemberley, Longbourne,
• Reading global texts through the lens of Jane Austen’s works ex. K-drama,
• Adapting Jane Austen for a global audience ex. Bride & Prejudice: The Bollywood Musical,
• Creating Jane Austen-inspired texts ex. Bridgerton,
• Developing online fan communities, podcasts, YouTube channels, or fan fiction,
• Traveling to Austen destinations or creating Austen-inspired experiences in the UK and globally.

Once dismissed (by Ralph Waldo Emerson) as "without genius, wit or knowledge of the world," Jane Austen has become a globally recognized figure, and her works remain powerfully influential. This panel seeks to explore the depth and range of this influence.

How do these very British stories speak to the cultural hybridity of a modern global marketplace? How does the quiet life a Regency countrywoman generate political and cultural commentary regarding modern gender, masculinity, femininity, courtship, and marriage? How does a woman who wrote pen-and-ink manuscripts on a small side table inspire self-sustaining, international communities of readers, fans, and devotees using a variety of media? What is the relevance and appeal of Jane Austen now?  

Please submit an abstract (200-300 words) and short biography (100-200 words) to the NeMLA website https://cfplist.com/nemla/Home/S/21623 by Sept 15, 2025 or email Dr. Sylvia Pamboukian at Pamboukian@rmu.edu with questions.