Friends of Mr. Steplively

The Jane Austen Society of North America Southeast Region (JASNA-SE) is a vibrant community of readers, scholars, and enthusiasts devoted to celebrating the life and works of Jane Austen. Serving members across the southeastern United States, the region offers a welcoming blend of literary discussion, historical exploration, and social connection.

Throughout the year, JASNA-SE hosts engaging programs including book discussions, lectures, teas, and festive gatherings that bring Austen’s world to life. Many events invite period dress and feature elements of Regency culture—music, manners, and, of course, dancing—while remaining accessible to newcomers and longtime members alike.

At its heart, JASNA-SE is about shared delight: in language, in history, and in the enduring charm of Austen’s stories. Whether you come for the scholarship, the society, or the simple pleasure of it all, you will find a warm and lively circle ready to welcome you.

Each year, devoted admirers of Jane Austen gather in Pennsylvania for a delightful celebration known as Jane Austen Week—a spirited immersion into the elegance, wit, and sociability of the Regency era.

Set against a charming historic backdrop, the week offers a rich program of English Country Dance, engaging lectures, workshops, teas, and costumed promenades. Whether you arrive in full Regency attire or simply with a love of Austen’s world, you’ll find yourself quickly swept into a lively community of kindred spirits.

From mornings spent discussing literature and history to evenings filled with music and dancing, Jane Austen Week is equal parts intellectual delight and joyful escape—a chance to step, for a time, into a world of refinement, connection, and enduring charm.

The Regency Society of Virginia is a community of enthusiasts devoted to the elegance, sociability, and cultural life of the Regency era (c. 1790–1820). Drawing inspiration from the world of Jane Austen and her contemporaries, the Society brings history to life through English Country Dance, period-inspired gatherings, and a shared appreciation for music, literature, and refined company.

Members and guests are invited to step into a world of lively assemblies, graceful movement, and warm conviviality—whether at a dance, a themed social, or a community demonstration. No prior experience is required; the emphasis is on accessibility, learning, and enjoyment.

At its heart, the Regency Society of Virginia offers a welcoming space where curiosity is encouraged, friendships are formed, and the past is not merely observed, but joyfully lived.