It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a city in possession of a literary heritage, must be in want of a festival. Thus, it comes as no surprise that the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen ought to be celebrated in Bath, where the past week saw people coming together dressed in bonnets and feathers and turning the city into a melting pot of Regency gaiety.
Not to be missed were, indeed, the regency balls, which invited spectators to revel in the splendour of past times. Jane Austen, independent, witty, and eloquent, had lived nearly five years in Bath, which nowadays claims her cultural legacy. This celebration seems almost ironic considering that Austen described Bath as “all vapour, shadow, smoke, and confusion”, contradicting the festival’s glamorous depiction. Moreover, it can be argued that the festival, which is supposed to honour her, reduces her to a solely romantic author by not including her societal criticism and satire. This rather superficial approach becomes evident as the festival promotes a consumer spectacle (who has a regency ball gown in their wardrobe?) from which Bath profits. Austen subliminally criticised situations as such.
But is there a “right” way to remember? Bath is not alone in honouring its writers. The Writers‘ Museum in Edinburgh claims Stevenson, Burns, and Scott as “our three great writers,” which is not quite correct, as none of them ever inhabited the building. Compared to Bath’s festival, the Writers’ Museum focuses more on the writers’ lives and what impacted them by showcasing original objects (Stevenson’s bedpost), letters, and quotes. In a way, it invites the visitor to reflect and create their own opinion, which is a more academic approach.
According to employees, Edinburgh has the right to claim these writers as they referred to themselves as “Edinburgh-men”, even though Stevenson showed a similar ambivalence to Edinburgh as Austen to Bath. After having been questioned, the employees stated that the museum is “doing the best with the objects they have” to honour the three men. Nevertheless, they wished for a survey through time of
Scottish literature rather than the focus on solely three writers. Of course, the festival in Bath also offered events about Jane Austen’s life. Nevertheless, these were overshadowed by the spectacles and parades which emphasise the festival’s
tourist character.
To conclude, while Edinburgh tries to take a more academic approach in honouring its writers, Bath’s way is more superficial. However, there is nothing wrong with wanting to dive into your favourite author’s world, as you need to “know your own happiness” (Austen). No matter the controversy, I believe that Jane Austen would have liked the idea of the festival, even though the praise would probably not have exceeded a simple “rather pleasing.”
“AUTHOR OF MONTH JANE AUSTEN” by Whittaker The Butler is marked with Public Domain Mark 1.0