It's time for the third annual Old Mandeville Jane Austen Festival!

As novelist Jane Austen said, "a person who can write a letter with ease, cannot write ill."

And that adage of wisdom was never so obvious as in 2008 during the "Perfect Love Letter" writing competition that was a highlight of Old Mandeville's first ever Jane Austen Festival; no ill thoughts in the many letters submitted but only expressions of love for persons, places or things, real or imagined.

The Perfect Love Letter competition will return along with scores of other activities when the third annual Old Mandeville Jane Austen Festival unfolds at two venues on March 6 & 7, 2010, in Old Mandeville, sponsored by The Jane Austen Foundation of Louisiana, Inc., a nonprofit corporation.

A full schedule of activities will take place on Saturday, March 6, at the Mandeville Trailhead and several other events will unfold the next day, Sunday, March 7, at The Lake House (formerly Bechac's Restaurant) on the Mandeville lakefront, offering a view of Lake Pontchartrain that would inspire any writer.

As the legendary Austen, hailed as one  of the greatest novelists in  the history of the English language, put it during the English Regency Era in which she lived, "there is no charm equal to the tenderness of the heart."

That, says Jane Austen Festival founder Kerri Blache, is the core concept benind the "Perfect Love Letter" contest.  Indeed, the mission of the festival in Mandeville is "to foster the fine art of letter writing."

Blache says those competing this year have until February 24 to submit letters on the topic of love (love of person, place or thing) in 250 words or less.  Details on entering can be found on this website. The letters will be judged by English college faculty members and first, second and third place winners will be invited to read their letters from 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. on March 7 at The Lake House and last year's winners will precede them by reading the 2009 winning entries.  There is no fee to enter the contest.

But there is more to this colorful festival than the quiet, solitary, serene art of love letter writing.

There is an equally popular time to strut your stuff inn the most elegant of Regency-Victorian era English attire by entering the Looking for Mr. Darcy and No Plain Jane costume competition which will be held on Saturday on the stage of the ampitheater at The Mandeville Trailhead Cultural Interpretive Center.   All festival goers are strongly encouraged to costume the entire weekend.

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For more information contact us at:
info@janeaustenfestival.org
(985)624-5683

BECOME A PATRON!

As a Patron, you can help The Jane Austen Foundation of Louisiana with their mission to foster the fine art of letter writing.  Your support will help with future plans of letter writing workshops, dramatic readings of Austen's works, demonstrations of arts, crafts, dance and culture of her day!

If you are interested in finding out more, please see this website for more information.

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THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:

Fidelity Homestead Savings Bank
Pelican Athletic Club

THANK YOU TO OUR COMMUNITY  PARTNERS:

Barnes & Noble
City of Mandeville
Dew Drop Social and Benevolent Hall
Just Picture It Frame Shop
Les Ensembles Classique
The Louisiane Vintage Dancers
Louisiana State University English Department
The LSU Dickens Project
Mandeville Trailhead Cultural and Interpretive Center
New Orleans Celtic Harp Ensemble
Northshorelinks.com/Northshore Tribune
Northshore Literary Society
Old Mandeville Business Association
Papier Plume
Pontchartrain Winds Bed & Breakfast
St. Tammany Parish Libraries
WLAE TV PBS & LAE Productions
WWNO
WYES TV PBS

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“Expect a most agreeable letter, for not being overburdened with subject (having nothing at all to say), I shall have no check to my genius from beginning to end.”

-  Letter of January 21, 1801