Southampton: City of Tenuous Jane Austen Connections

While we waited to board the mighty Queen Mary 2, we wandered around Southampton, stopping at Marks & Spencer for knickers, and into Forbidden Planet to stock up on manga for the voyage and (joy!) I signed their stock of the paperback editions of all three volumes of the Magic or Madness trilogy¹.

We also goggled at the many Jane Austen plaques. Here, for my mother’s delectation, is a sampling:

Most excellent. Hope you enjoy, Jan!

I love Forbidden Planet. They’re the only English bookshop that stocks my books. Bless them! I also signed copies at their store in London. [↩]

Posted by Justine at 0:00, 29 April 2008 under Travelling | 5 Comments »

Comments

Mahek Says:

WOW! I never knew Southampton uh, had connection to Austen! I’ll have to visit a Forbidden Planet store to get your books then!!!

April 29th, 2008 at 2:49 AM
Charlotte May Says:

Fantabulous I am all astonishment (and delight) !

xxxxxxxxooooooooo

April 29th, 2008 at 3:05 AM
Hillary! Says:

Forbidden Planet is such a cool name for a book store!

April 29th, 2008 at 12:08 PM
Dave Hogg Says:

“On this spot in 1807, Jane Austen was heard to exclaim ‘Someday, I hope there will be a fine bookshop in this town, which I don’t even remember the name of, and that it will sell my books. And the books of Justine Larbalestier.’”

April 29th, 2008 at 4:00 PM
sable_starr Says:

You must must tell me what manga you bought! I’ve been seriously addicted to manga the last couple months and I have to say manga = awesome! Especially Nana (I just read the scan of the latest chapter and wow, it gave me a major headache and a case of the sniffles.) Yup, so you absolutely must write more about manga

And those plaques are cool.

Also congrats on the nomination!

April 29th, 2008 at 9:08 PM