Jennie Batchelor
@jenniebatchelor.bsky.social
Academic (#c18th century #literature) and Head and Prof of English and Related Literature at the Uni of York working on periodicals, media, women writers, material culture, dress history. Writer. Crafter. #SEND parent. Coffee Lover.
Delighted to have received a text from a friend who saw the Beyond the Bonnets exhibition at the Winchester ARC, which (to my surprise) featured my published research on Susanna Sackree, who looked after the children of Jane Austen’s brother and later become the housekeeper of Godmersham Park. 1/
October 27, 2025 at 8:24 PM
Delighted to have received a text from a friend who saw the Beyond the Bonnets exhibition at the Winchester ARC, which (to my surprise) featured my published research on Susanna Sackree, who looked after the children of Jane Austen’s brother and later become the housekeeper of Godmersham Park. 1/
After a mad few weeks of work, I finally finished a couple of projects. One big and one small. The crochet craft bag was supposed to be a beginner’s project, but every one of the 36 granny squares, magic circles and mattress stitch joins tested this beginner. The sprig was much more my comfort zone.
October 25, 2025 at 8:36 PM
After a mad few weeks of work, I finally finished a couple of projects. One big and one small. The crochet craft bag was supposed to be a beginner’s project, but every one of the 36 granny squares, magic circles and mattress stitch joins tested this beginner. The sprig was much more my comfort zone.
Couldn’t resist this almost disbound copy of the Lady’s Magazine for 1777. It has a map sampler pattern for the Americas I have desperately wanted for some time and I was worried this was going to be chopped up for its lovely plates. I hope “Ann Nickleson” would approve. This is her book.
October 24, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Couldn’t resist this almost disbound copy of the Lady’s Magazine for 1777. It has a map sampler pattern for the Americas I have desperately wanted for some time and I was worried this was going to be chopped up for its lovely plates. I hope “Ann Nickleson” would approve. This is her book.
Still pinching myself. Last night I talked about “Jane Austen, Her Writing and Her Craft” before a sold out crowd at Harewood House and enjoyed one last walk round of our exhibition Austen & Turner: A Country House Encounter. It was both wonderful and sad But all good things, as they say…
October 17, 2025 at 4:06 PM
Still pinching myself. Last night I talked about “Jane Austen, Her Writing and Her Craft” before a sold out crowd at Harewood House and enjoyed one last walk round of our exhibition Austen & Turner: A Country House Encounter. It was both wonderful and sad But all good things, as they say…
What a marvellous day in Bath with Strictly Jane Austen Tours, talking all things Austen and attending and helping out at an embroidery workshop led by Alison Larkin. #Austenat250
October 14, 2025 at 7:50 PM
What a marvellous day in Bath with Strictly Jane Austen Tours, talking all things Austen and attending and helping out at an embroidery workshop led by Alison Larkin. #Austenat250
Excited for the week ahead. Not one but two talks to celebrate #Austen250. On Tuesday, I will be at the Gainsborough Hotel in Bath talking about Austen and women’s magazines. On Thursday, I will be at Harewood talking about Jane Austen’s Craft. Around that will be a lot of Head of Departmenting.
October 11, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Excited for the week ahead. Not one but two talks to celebrate #Austen250. On Tuesday, I will be at the Gainsborough Hotel in Bath talking about Austen and women’s magazines. On Thursday, I will be at Harewood talking about Jane Austen’s Craft. Around that will be a lot of Head of Departmenting.
Last night was the launch of Encounters with Jane Austen, a collection of essays, interviews, poems and short fiction about to commemorate the 250th anniversary of her birth. I wrote the book’s introduction to the book, which includes a short account of Austen’s life, work and legacies. #Austen250
October 3, 2025 at 8:18 AM
Last night was the launch of Encounters with Jane Austen, a collection of essays, interviews, poems and short fiction about to commemorate the 250th anniversary of her birth. I wrote the book’s introduction to the book, which includes a short account of Austen’s life, work and legacies. #Austen250
It was so lovely to be at the launch of Jane Austen’s Fashion Bible by the incomparable Ros Ballaster at Chawton House last night. Always a pleasure to hear Ros talk about Austen and the book is sumptuous #JaneAusten #Austen250
September 14, 2025 at 3:50 PM
It was so lovely to be at the launch of Jane Austen’s Fashion Bible by the incomparable Ros Ballaster at Chawton House last night. Always a pleasure to hear Ros talk about Austen and the book is sumptuous #JaneAusten #Austen250
Book selfie! So pleased to have been part of Encounters with Jane Austen which out in just a few days from @aurorametro.bsky.social . It had been terrific to work with the brilliant Cheryl Robson and to be in such stellar contributor company. Find out more here: www.aurorametro.com/product/enco...
September 12, 2025 at 12:45 PM
Book selfie! So pleased to have been part of Encounters with Jane Austen which out in just a few days from @aurorametro.bsky.social . It had been terrific to work with the brilliant Cheryl Robson and to be in such stellar contributor company. Find out more here: www.aurorametro.com/product/enco...
Today was the last session of the Jane Austen Book Club at Harewood House. led by @chloewigstonsmith.bsky.social and me to run alongside Austen and Turner: A Country House Encounter exhibition. Today, we spent a lot of time talking (amongst other things) about silence. #AustenandTurner #Austen250
September 10, 2025 at 8:21 PM
Today was the last session of the Jane Austen Book Club at Harewood House. led by @chloewigstonsmith.bsky.social and me to run alongside Austen and Turner: A Country House Encounter exhibition. Today, we spent a lot of time talking (amongst other things) about silence. #AustenandTurner #Austen250
I had the best morning ever earlier this week at the fabulous Quilt Museum in York conducting research for my book The Writer’s Craft. The collection is extraordinary and the generosity and expertise of Curator, Heather Audin, equal to it. #quilting #needlework #craft #writing #sewing #18c
September 6, 2025 at 2:29 PM
Looking forward to the publication, of Encounters With Jane Austen, a book masterminded by the wonderful Cheryl Robson at Aurora Metro. I was honoured to be asked to write the introduction to this collection which covers Austen’s life and work and what her writing means to me. 1/
August 12, 2025 at 7:58 PM
Looking forward to the publication, of Encounters With Jane Austen, a book masterminded by the wonderful Cheryl Robson at Aurora Metro. I was honoured to be asked to write the introduction to this collection which covers Austen’s life and work and what her writing means to me. 1/
Totally missed #WorldEmbroideryDay due to busy-ness at work. Anyway, here’s two of the current projects. Trying #goldwork for the 1st time with Hand and Lock kit and working on recreating Jane Austen’s handkerchief for Cassandra.
August 3, 2025 at 7:16 PM
Totally missed #WorldEmbroideryDay due to busy-ness at work. Anyway, here’s two of the current projects. Trying #goldwork for the 1st time with Hand and Lock kit and working on recreating Jane Austen’s handkerchief for Cassandra.
Here is Miss Lambe and the Lady’s Magazine fashion plate side by side. 4/
July 31, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Here is Miss Lambe and the Lady’s Magazine fashion plate side by side. 4/
Incredible to be at the installation today of Lela Harris’s breathtaking new portrait of Miss Lambe, from #Sanditon. Lela undertook the commission as Artist in Residence from our exhibition Austen and Turner: A Country House Encounter at Harewood House. 1/
July 31, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Incredible to be at the installation today of Lela Harris’s breathtaking new portrait of Miss Lambe, from #Sanditon. Lela undertook the commission as Artist in Residence from our exhibition Austen and Turner: A Country House Encounter at Harewood House. 1/
It was an enormous pleasure to attend the Music in Nineteenth-Century Britain conference (organised by Rachel Cowgill) at the University of York last night and introduce Austen scholar and music historian Dr Gillian Dooley who gave a keynote talk about music in Northanger Abbey.
July 30, 2025 at 8:58 AM
It was an enormous pleasure to attend the Music in Nineteenth-Century Britain conference (organised by Rachel Cowgill) at the University of York last night and introduce Austen scholar and music historian Dr Gillian Dooley who gave a keynote talk about music in Northanger Abbey.
Might this be the best present I have ever received? Yes! Crazy workload and Austen 250th means I am only just about to start season 3 of my bid to (re)watch every #MurderSheWrote episode in order. Now I can continue caffeinated!
July 25, 2025 at 7:56 AM
Might this be the best present I have ever received? Yes! Crazy workload and Austen 250th means I am only just about to start season 3 of my bid to (re)watch every #MurderSheWrote episode in order. Now I can continue caffeinated!
Huge congratulations to the English and Related Literature Class of 2025, who graduated on Saturday. It was such an honour to read out the around 300 students who were able to walk the stage to receive their undergraduate, masters and DPhil degrees.
July 21, 2025 at 7:31 PM
Huge congratulations to the English and Related Literature Class of 2025, who graduated on Saturday. It was such an honour to read out the around 300 students who were able to walk the stage to receive their undergraduate, masters and DPhil degrees.
In the year that marks the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen's birth, today is the anniversary of her death on 18 July 1817. She was 41 and had had to put aside the last novel she was working on. We call it 'Sanditon'. She almost certainly knew she would not finish it (Photo credit: Tom Arber) 1/
July 18, 2025 at 8:07 AM
In the year that marks the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen's birth, today is the anniversary of her death on 18 July 1817. She was 41 and had had to put aside the last novel she was working on. We call it 'Sanditon'. She almost certainly knew she would not finish it (Photo credit: Tom Arber) 1/
Thrilled to have an article on The Art of Georgian Embroidery Design in the Fall 2025 issue of #Piecework. In the article I focus on the getting, making and enduring appeal of Georgian embroidery designs and and showcase the work of some of the incredible people who have made them for the #StitchOff
July 15, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Thrilled to have an article on The Art of Georgian Embroidery Design in the Fall 2025 issue of #Piecework. In the article I focus on the getting, making and enduring appeal of Georgian embroidery designs and and showcase the work of some of the incredible people who have made them for the #StitchOff
Tonight I gave a drawing room talk at Jane Austen’s House for the 250 celebrations on accessories and stitched objects in Austen’s life and works. This is the room in which Pride and Prejudice was first read aloud. Such a lovely audience of people from the UK, US, Germany and Australia.
July 13, 2025 at 8:24 PM
Tonight I gave a drawing room talk at Jane Austen’s House for the 250 celebrations on accessories and stitched objects in Austen’s life and works. This is the room in which Pride and Prejudice was first read aloud. Such a lovely audience of people from the UK, US, Germany and Australia.
I had the best time at The Global Austen Conference at the University of Southampton though I was terrible at taking photos. Brilliantly organised by the fabulous Gillian Dow and Katie Halsey this was a three-day treat of Austen intellectual riches.
July 12, 2025 at 2:23 PM
I had the best time at The Global Austen Conference at the University of Southampton though I was terrible at taking photos. Brilliantly organised by the fabulous Gillian Dow and Katie Halsey this was a three-day treat of Austen intellectual riches.
What an extraordinary day today at Harewood House at the recital by Austen music scholars and musicians, Gillian Dooley and Laura Klein which served also to preview their incredibly exciting collaboration: The Jane Austen Song and Piano Book. #JaneAusten #AustenandTurner
July 1, 2025 at 7:02 PM
What an extraordinary day today at Harewood House at the recital by Austen music scholars and musicians, Gillian Dooley and Laura Klein which served also to preview their incredibly exciting collaboration: The Jane Austen Song and Piano Book. #JaneAusten #AustenandTurner
How to sum up my experiences at the Jane Austen Summer Programme in NC last weekend? The best I can come up with is: public humanities at its best. I met the most wonderful people, all united by their appreciation of Austen What better way to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Austen’s birth?
June 25, 2025 at 7:36 PM
How to sum up my experiences at the Jane Austen Summer Programme in NC last weekend? The best I can come up with is: public humanities at its best. I met the most wonderful people, all united by their appreciation of Austen What better way to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Austen’s birth?
All finished and ready to carry my samples for embroidery workshops @janeaustensummer.bsky.social . My 1770s lined work bag adapted from an embroidery design in the Lady’s Magazine that explains it was to be shaded in ribbons. My second attempt at ribbon embroidery and first without a kit.
June 1, 2025 at 3:06 PM
All finished and ready to carry my samples for embroidery workshops @janeaustensummer.bsky.social . My 1770s lined work bag adapted from an embroidery design in the Lady’s Magazine that explains it was to be shaded in ribbons. My second attempt at ribbon embroidery and first without a kit.