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Happy Birthday, Jane Austen!

Abigail Reynolds Posted on by

Today I’m delighted to be taking part in Austen’s Birthday Soiree, a multi-blog extravaganza organized by Maria Grazia of My Jane Austen Book Club and Katherine Cox of  November’s Autumn.  The best part is that you can get presents, even though it isn’t your birthday, because each blog is also hosting a giveaway.  I’ll be giving away a copy of Mr. Darcy’s Undoing to a lucky commenter.

Meantime, each blogger gets to give a virtual birthday present to Jane Austen herself.  My choice was obvious because I’d just done far more research than was necessary (as is usually the case for me) to be able to describe a very specific gift Darcy was to give Elizabeth in Mr. Darcy’s Letter.  I can see some readers scratching their heads trying to remember a present from Darcy in Mr. Darcy’s Letter – you might as well give up, since it ended up being cut from the final draft, despite the three days of research I’d put into it.  It was a lap desk, a wooden box that opens to reveal a fabric or leather sloping surface for writing on, with compartments for bottles of ink and a shallow groove to store pens.  Underneath the writing slope was a storage area for papers – just right for love letters.   Many also had secret compartments for valuables.  In Mr. Darcy’s Letter, the gift was of significance because Darcy had received two letters from Elizabeth (the second was cut from the final version) and wanted her to write more, but knew she had difficulty finding privacy at Longbourn to write a secret missive.  The gift of a lap desk was a tongue-in-cheek reference to their past secret correspondence, but also practical and decorative – and it could be locked to keep private letters away from snooping sisters.

What better birthday gift could I give Jane Austen than tools to make her writing easier?  This one is made of birdseye maple with mother-of-pearl insets. The interior, like that of many lap desks of the period, is a lovely rosewood, and it comes complete with a key.  Jane can take it anywhere to write – under a tree as well as in her sitting room.  Maybe she’ll write even more now!

interior writing slope

If you’re interested, you can see more views of this lap desk here.  It’s even for sale, and if I ever win the lottery, it’s on the top of my to-buy list.

I’m also celebrating my newest release, Mr. Darcy’s Letter, with a giveaway of a signed copy at Austen Authors, and I’ve posted my short story “Intermezzo” as a free bonus for my readers.  Don’t forget to comment here (including email address) by December 23 if you’d like to win the signed copy of Mr. Darcy’s Undoing!

 

Katherine Cox ~ November’s Autumn
$10 Barnes & Noble gift card

      Maria Grazia ~ My Jane Austen Book Club
a selection of Austenesque novels

Austen Authors
Georgette Heyer’s Regency World

Sharon Lathan ~ Sharon’s blog
Miss Darcy Falls in Love 

C. Allyn Pierson ~ Semi True Stories
Mr. Darcy’s Little Sister

Cindy Jones ~ First Draft
My Jane Austen Summer & package of Lily Berry’s Pink Rose Tea by Bingley Teas

Marilyn Brant ~ Brant Flakes
According to Jane canvas tote bag & A Summer in Europe luggage tags

Karen Doorbebos ~ Fiction vs. Reality Smackdown
Definitely Not Mr. Darcy (2 copies), 2 Jane Austen candles, & drink coasters and tea

Regina Jeffers ~ Regina’s Blog
Christmas at Pemberley 

Alyssa Goodnight ~ Alyssa’s Blog
Jane Austen Action Figure

Vera Nazarian ~ Urban Girl Takes Vermont
Vera’s Perpetual Calendar of Inspiration in hardcover

Jane Odiwe ~ Jane Austen Sequels
Mr. Darcy’s Secret & a mug with a Jane Odiwe illustration

Susan Kaye, Laura Hile, Pamela Aidan, & Barbara Cornthwaite ~ Jane Started It!
Young Master Darcy: A Lesson in Honor by Pamela Aidan
set of Frederick Wentworth, Captain by Susan Kaye
Mercy’s Embrace: So Rough a Course (2 copies) by Laura Hile
set of George Knightley, Gentleman by Barbara Cornthwaite

Juliet Archer ~ Choc Lit Authors’ Corner
Persuade Me & The Importance of Being Emma 

Jane Greensmith ~ Reading, Writing, Working, Playing
Intimations of Austen and Sense & Sensibility Marvel graphic novel

Emily Snyder ~ O! Beauty Unattempted
Letters of Love & Deception

Farida Mestek ~ Regency Sketches
I Was Jane Austen’s Best Friend by Cora Harrison

vvb32 Reads
Jane Austen’s Little Instruction Book (Charming Petites)

Jane Austen in Vermont
JASNA 2012 calendar from Wisconsin JASNA Region

Becky Rhodehouse ~ One Literature Nut
selection of Austenesque reads

Jennifer Becton ~ Historical Fiction & Thrillers
Personages of Pride and Prejudice Collection eBook

Courtney Webb ~ Stiletto Storytime
Noble Satyr by Lucinda Brant

Adriana Zardini ~ Jane Austen Brazil
Sense & Sensibility 1995 DVD – English with Portuguese subtitles

Patrice Sarath ~ Patrice Sarath blog
The Unexpected Miss Bennet

Kaitlin Saunders ~ Kaitlin Saunders blog
A Modern Day Persuasion

Laurel Ann Nattress ~ Austenprose
Jane Austen Made Me Do It

Prue Batten ~ Mesmered’s Blog
Georgiana Darcy by Anne Elliot

Jenny Allworthy ~ The Jane Austen Film Club
Northanger Abbey 2007 DVD

Sitio Jane Austen ~ El Salon de Te de Jane
Spanish and English DVD package of Jane Austen adaptations

Erin Blakemore ~ The Heroine’s Bookshelf
Pride & Prejudice notecards

Comments

Happy Birthday, Jane Austen! — 61 Comments

  3. Dear Abigail,
    What a clever little writing desk! I just love things like that. I’ve found a couple of them in my travels to antique shops and 2nd handstores throughout New England. One that I have is made of paper, very old and small. It’s so precious to me.
    I would love winning your book! I’ve purchased Mr. Darcy’s Letters and can’t wait to get started on it this week. I sometimes wonder what Jane would make of all the much ‘n stuff we’ve made of her life! :]

    I so enjoy being a part of the Austen admirer’s group! LOL

    Deborah/TheBookishDame

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  5. What an exquisite present and practical at the same time! Elizabeth and Jane Austen would definitely love it 🙂 And I wish you all luck with winning the lottery so that the writing process could become more delightful and you could write even more!

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  8. Happy 236th Jane! What a wonderful writing desk! For a blog site’s writing contest, I’m writing(term used loosely) a short story that includes Nauset and Nobska! Cheers!

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  9. Happy Birthday, Jane. You left us with a legacy of delightful novels that we now consider “historical” but for you were “contemporary” reflections on life in your time. Thank you for giving us rich characters and an a view to the world in which you live. Your writing has enchanted and inspired so many of us!

    Amazing contest! Wow!

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  10. Happy Birthday to Jane!! did you ever realize that you’ve inspired so many people with your writing?????

    i’m grateful!!!!! LOL!!!

    thank you for this giveaway, Abigail!!

    cyn209 at juno dot com

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  13. Happy birthday to Jane! Next semester, I’m taking an Austen class. I can hardly wait to spend the whole semester focused on that great lady!

    I love your adaptations! I’d really love to own them all!

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  19. Happy Birthday Jane Austen! I’m so glad to have known you and to have such company all these years. Thank you Bloggers for feeding my obsession with gifts. Abigail, you are one of my favorites. Thanks for all you do.

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  21. Oh, that writing desk is perfect – so practical and yet such an indulgence!

    Happy Jane’s Birthday! I would love to be chosen to win your drawing.

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  25. One day i will tell you “Happy birthday” in an elegant way. When I woul be an honest pupil of you, but until then Happy Birthday!

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  26. Ooh! Great gift, Abigail! I did some research into these lap desks as well, although I never ran across the image you have here. Really stunning! I am sure Miss Austen will discover it to be very useful.

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  27. Abigail, I love the writing desk! What a great gift it would have been for Elizabeth, and Jane!
    Happy b-day Jane and thanks so much for the Giveaway of Mr. Darcy’s Undoing! 🙂

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  28. What a wonderful gift, Abigail. Creative and very appropriate!

    Happy birthday, Jane!

    Thank you for the giveaway.
    cherringtonmb(at)sbcglobal(dot)net

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  31. The writing desk in the second picture you posted is very similar to the one which Jane’s father actually gave her when she was a young girl, as he, too, wanted to encourage her writing. A perfect parallel to give one to Lizzie Bennett.

    May I also say, as a first-time visitor, how elegant I find the design of your blog. A pleasure to be here!

    Regards,

    Kat

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  32. Happy Birthday Jane ! It’s my birthday on the 19th and if my Mr Darcy happened to give myself a gift such as this I would be a very happy girl indeed….Love u Abi xxxx

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  34. Happy 236th Birthday, dear Jane!

    Thank you for writing my favourite book (P&P – of course). I’m sure you will like Abigail’s present very much. But just in case you already own a lap desk, I’d be delighted if you would send it to me. If you don’t want to part with it, I will try to understand and could be consoled by one of Abigail’s signed books. Please put in a good word for me. Maybe you could even persuade her to share the cut scenes from “Mr. Darcy’s Letter”. I would be much obliged.

    Elli

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  47. That lapdesk is beautiful, I love it. I’m sure Miss Jane would love it, too. I like to imagine her in a peaceful place, writing more wonderful stories. I can see Lizzy using it, too, to write letters to a special Derbyshire gentleman. I can’t wait to read Mr Darcy’s Letter. I’ve gotten so behind in my reading because of the holidays.

    Thanks for the giveaway of Mr Darcy’s undoing, and Happy Birthday Jane!

    monicaperry00@gmail.com

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  50. i discovered you with your “MR DARCY’S OBSSESSION” which i enjoyed so much *__* , your variation are just wonderful amazing, i love the plot and new characters that you created(mary), i heard that you are writting a sequel ,and i look forward to see the sequel .
    happy birthday to jane austen my favourite author and thank you to her for making our life brighter <333

    i hope i can get your book 🙂
    good day

    jandia4junpyo@yahoo.fr

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  52. I have really enjoyed Fitzwilliam Darcy: Last Man in the World and how you handled that story. Was a great read with great twists and use of the original and their personalities established by the birthday girl. I need something new to read! HINT HINT!

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  60. Still getting caught up on all of the posts for the Soiree. Thank you for joining Maria Grazia and I, Abigail! I hope you have a lovely Holiday. And the lap desk look beautiful! I wouldn’t mind one either. 🙂 No need to enter me in the giveaway.

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