To Cambridge with pride, alumna chosen to join Jane Austen experts at top conference

When the world’s Jane Austen experts gather this summer at England’s most prestigious conference celebrating all things Austen upon the 200^th anniversary of her landmark novel Pride and Prejudice, among them will be Chapman University alumna Sarah Faulkner ’12.

Faulkner, a master’s candidate at the University of Edinburgh, will present an essay she wrote in that program at the Pride and Prejudice Conference to be held in June at Lucy Cavendish College, University of Cambridge. In Oh! How Much Do I Owe Her: Lessons Learned Pride and Prejudice, Faulkner compares Austen’s courtship plots with those of her contemporary, fellow author Sydney Owenson.

Speaking by Skype, Faulkner said the honor came about serendipitously. She had submitted the paper to another conference, but an evaluator there recommended it for the Cambridge conference.

“I wouldn’t even have applied to the Cambridge conference because it’s so prestigious,” Faulkner said.

Faulkner particularly credits Chapman English professors Lynda Hall, Ph.D., and Justine Van Meter, Ph.D., with helping her develop the scholarship that has led to her graduate work success.

“They have been an amazing influence,” she said.

Hall, herself a widely published Austen scholar, said she plans to join Faulkner at the conference this summer. But she’s deferring the limelight.

“I’m not taking any credit. Sarah’s such a dynamic person. The energy she brings to her work is completely and honestly all her,” said Hall, who first had Faulkner as a student in a Freshman Foundations course. “I’ve watched her grow and develop as a scholar. I know she has the potential to really continue that.”

And speaking of Jane Austen, remember that Chapman University is hosting a weekend of special events when the Jane Austen Society of North America holds its spring meeting on campus.