Jane Austen Day

Tuesday 16th December 2025 at 10am

Doors & bar open at 10am

Tickets: Free entry no need to book

Tuesday 16th December 2025 is the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth.
Join the celebrations with a day of talks, readings and music at the Jubilee Hall, interspersed with film, art, poetry, hot chocolate, Bath buns and dogs in bonnets in locations around the town.
At the Jubilee Hall, talks include Dr. Nicholas Clark from The Red House, who will investigate an opera planned by Benjamin Britten based on Mansfield Park, and Kate Drayton, who holds an Honorary Lectureship at UEA, on Jane Austen at the Seaside.
Did you know that Jane Austen had a literary crush on Aldeburgh poet, George Crabbe? Or that she wrote the songs of the day into a Songbook? And whatever happened to Mr. Wickham after he got married?

Programme of Events

All events between 10.30am and 2.00pm are free and open to all.

JUBILEE HALL
10.30 Doors open, Welcome, What’s On
10.45 Kate Drayton: Jane Austen at the Seaside
11.30 Selected Readings from the novels arranged by David Quilter
Audience members are invited to join in
12.45 Dr. Nicholas Clark, Librarian at The Red House, on Benjamin Britten’s preparatory work
for an opera based on Mansfield Park
1.30 Will Fergusson
Songs from The Jane Austen Songbook

2.30 Doors open for Being Mr Wickham
3.00 Being Mr. Wickham (£20) written by and starring Adrian Lukis, the original Mr. Wickham
from the 1995 BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice
book tickets HERE or 01728 454 022
4.00 30-minute Q & A with Adrian Lukis included in the ticket price

ALDEBURGH GALLERY
2.00 – 3.00 After Austen: Austen inspired poetry from local poets – free refreshments

THE ALDEBURGH BEACH LOOKOUT
Regency inspired art by local artists and cartoonists

THE SUFFOLK
4.30 Regency tea (£10)
book at the-suffolk.co.uk or 07831 601 411

ALDEBURGH CINEMA
7.30 Sense and Sensibility (1995) adapted by and starring Emma Thompson
book at aldeburghcinema.co.uk or 01728 454884

There will be a charge for hot chocolate by Tosier

For further details please contact
– Bridget Overton: bridget.c.overton@btinternet.com
– Kate Drayton: marshfieldkate@icloud.com or
– Vanessa Raison: vanessa.raison@btinternet.com