Invite Kim to Speak
Entertaining, illustrated talks on Jane Austen, English history, gardens, tea, food, and life in the Georgian and Regency world.
Kim Wilson gives lively, illustrated talks on Jane Austen, English history, gardens, tea, food, and life in the Georgian and Regency world. She speaks to audiences in person and online for conferences, museums, historic sites, botanical gardens, libraries, literary societies, bookstores, garden clubs, and cultural organizations.
Kim has been a featured speaker for the Royal Oak Foundation, the American partner of the National Trust of England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the Jane Austen Society of North America, and has lectured regularly for Road Scholar.
For Book Groups
Is your group reading one of Kim’s books? Ask about an online Q&A visit with Kim for your book group. These informal sessions are a friendly way to discuss the history, research, and stories behind her books.
Popular Talk Topics
Jane Austen's Life & World
At Home with Jane Austen
A beautiful illustrated tour of Jane Austen’s world, from Steventon and Bath to Southampton, Chawton, and Winchester. Based on Kim’s book At Home with Jane Austen, this talk explores the houses, journeys, and domestic settings that shaped Austen’s life and illuminate her novels.
Tea with Jane Austen
A delightful illustrated exploration of English tea-drinking in Jane Austen’s life and novels. Based on Kim’s book Tea with Jane Austen, this talk looks at tea as a social ritual, a domestic pleasure, and a revealing detail in Austen’s fiction—along with what to serve at your own Austen-inspired tea.
Entertaining & Seasonal Celebrations
One Very Superior Party: How to Give the Perfect Regency Entertainment
Inspired by Mrs. Elton’s plans for “one very superior party” in Emma, this illustrated talk explores the elegant evening entertainments of Jane Austen’s day, from card parties and musical evenings to routs. Kim discusses Regency party customs, historic recipes, and ways to recreate the spirit of a fashionable Austen-era gathering today.
Twelve Days of a Regency Christmas
An illustrated celebration of Christmas in Jane Austen’s day, when the season meant visiting, balls, games, and festive food. This talk explores Georgian and Regency holiday customs, including Twelfth Night traditions, wassail, seasonal entertainments, and the pleasures of gathering with friends during the Twelve Days of Christmas.
Gardens
In the Garden with Jane Austen: Love in the Shrubbery
A lively illustrated tour of Georgian and Regency gardens, from cottage plots to grand estates, and the gardens Jane Austen knew and loved. Based on Kim’s book In the Garden with Jane Austen, this talk explores the role of gardens in Austen’s life, novels, and world.
Peonies, Berries, and Bees: Jane Austen’s Cottage Gardens
A lively illustrated look at Regency cottage gardens, where flowers, herbs, fruit, vegetables, poultry, and bees combined beauty with usefulness. This talk explores the gardens Jane Austen knew, the cottage gardens that appear in her novels, and the period gardening practices that shaped daily life in Austen’s world.
