Call for Papers
Through this Call for Papers, the Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) invites submission of proposals for breakout sessions and applications for the New Voices Breakout Speaker Grant at the 2026 JASNA Annual General Meeting (AGM) October 29-November 1, 2026 in Tucson, Arizona.
2026 AGM Theme: "Jane Austen's Bath Novels: Northanger Abbey and Persuasion."
Submission Deadline: November 30, 2025
"I really believe I shall always be talking of Bath, when I am at home again—I do like it so very much . . . Oh! Who can ever be tired of Bath?" —Northanger Abbey
"She disliked Bath, and did not think it agreed with her, and Bath was to be her home" —Persuasion
Catherine Morland and Anne Elliot have very different opinions of the ancient spa city of Bath, but much else in common. Both the starry-eyed ingenue and the sadder-but-wiser spinster find love among the honey-colored stone buildings after fending off unworthy
The two novels, published together in 1818—six months after Austen's death—can be considered bookends in Austen's career because Northanger Abbey was her first "sale" and Persuasion was her final complete and revised manuscript. They are the novels in which Austen most precisely examines innocence and experience, and their pairing also reveals historical and economic changes from the 18th to the early 19th century, including the decline of the city of Bath itself.
Specific areas to explore might include, but are by no means limited to:
- Austen's maturation as a writer, from her first novel to her last
- Health and wellness
- Innocence and experience
- Models of masculinity
- Youth and aging
- Home, holiday and exile
- Deception and authenticity
- Travel, tourism, and resorts
Successful proposals will engage primarily with the novels themselves—the texts and Austen's creation of them—rather than exclusively with her world or more general topics. Proposals may focus on either Northanger Abbey or Persuasion or take a comparative approach to both. Proposals related to the treatment of these works by later writers, filmmakers, and others are also welcome.
General Guidelines and Expectations
Every year, JASNA selects intriguing speakers from academia and a wide variety of other backgrounds. As the AGM is JASNA's premier event, we seek speakers who not only have demonstrated expertise in their subject areas, but also have experience presenting their findings in a lively and engaging manner. All breakout speakers must be members of JASNA in good standing at the time of AGM registration, but JASNA membership is not required to submit a proposal.
An audiovisual setup (microphone, projector, and screen; additional equipment may be available upon request) will be available, and we strongly encourage presenters to use visuals and to prepare notes or a script designed specifically for delivery to a live audience.
Sessions will usually be 30 minutes each, not including a biographical introduction and a short question and answer period. We are open to a variety of formats: traditional presentations, panels, debates, moderated discussions, and others may be proposed. Regardless of format, breakout sessions must be related to the conference theme and suitable for submission to Persuasions as required. Presenters may be asked to consider forming panels if their topics are compatible.
With rare exceptions, speakers shall prepare an essay version of their presentation for consideration for publication in JASNA's journals, Persuasions and Persuasions Online.
How to Submit a Proposal
More information about expectations, as well as presentation tips and sample proposals, are available from the JASNA VP for Conferences, Jane Boltz, jtoboltz@gmail.com.
Click here for the 2026 JASNA AGM application form and to submit your proposal online.
