Wicked Wit & Regency Crime: An Evening with Jane Austen

Two Adelaide academics, two very different takes on Jane Austen — join us for an evening of wit, scandal and song. Dr Julia Miller draws on the world of Jane Austen to explore crime, justice and mischief in Regency England — part historical curiosity, part comic invention. Julia is the author of Crime and Prejudice, a collection of comic short stories imagining each Pride and Prejudice character committing a crime — shortlisted for the international Comedy Women in Print prize in 2025. Dr Gillian Dooley then takes us into Austen's own music collection, revealing a side of the author rarely discussed — one shaped by revolution and rebellion. Beyond the well-known love songs and laments, Austen's collection included pieces touching on the French Revolution and Scottish nationalism. Gillian will perform a selection of these songs, and explain their place in Austen’s own life and work.