Part of our Truths of Our Time Series

“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”

Join rare book dealer and Pawn Stars guest star Rebecca Romney for a fascinating literary journey through her new book, Jane Austen’s Bookshelf. In this talk, Romney will delve into the stories of the groundbreaking authors who shaped Austen’s ideas and inspired her celebrated novels. Learn how these women’s works fell into obscurity and why they deserve a place back on our shelves today. Romney’s investigative and personal journey of reconstructing Austen’s bookshelf offers a compelling case for revisiting these forgotten classics. Discover the women writers who inspired Austen’s iconic works and explore why their books vanished from the literary canon. REGISTER HERE.

Books are available for purchase at the museum store and online here, and the author will sign copies following the discussion.

The Truths of Our Time Series explores the role of non-fiction in illuminating societal challenges and reflects Twain’s legacy of provoking critical discussions and foster social change.

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About the Author:

Rebecca Romney is a rare book dealer and the cofounder of Type Punch Matrix, a rare book company based in Washington, DC. She is the rare books specialist on the HISTORY Channel’s show Pawn Stars, and the cofounder of the Honey & Wax Book Collecting Prize. She is a generalist rare book dealer, handling works in all fields, from first editions of Jane Austen to science fiction paperbacks. Her work as a bookseller or writer has been featured in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Forbes, Variety, The Paris Review, and more.

About the Moderator:

Scott Gac is Director of American Studies and Associate Professor of American Studies and History at Trinity College and the author of Born in Blood: Violence and the Making of America and Singing for Freedom: The Hutchinson Family Singers and the Nineteenth-Century Culture of Reform.