Work/Cited is a new program series that showcases the latest scholarship supported by the rich collections of The New York Public Library with a behind-the-scenes look at how the finished product was inspired, researched, and created.

In this episode, NYPL's Meredith Mann was joined by Barbara Heller, curator, and Anna Pinto, scribe, of a new edition of Pride and Prejudice filled with reproductions of the book's Regency-era correspondence. They discussed how archival research helped shape the scripts of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, and how these historical flourishes added to the novel's atmosphere and reader experience.

Episode Recording and Transcript

Work/Cited Episode 4: Creating the Letters of Pride and Prejudice from The New York Public Library on Vimeo.

A transcript of this event is available here.

Episode References and Additional Resources

• Bios of Barbara and the scribes who worked on the project
• Collections researched at NYPL: Edward Raleigh Moran correspondence, Burgess family papers, Stephen Nightingale papers
• Her Reputation for Accomplishment, a blog on recreating the skills and pasttimes of Jane Austen's era
• Jane Austen's Chawton House
• Scholarship on the history of the British post, from the NYPL Shared Collection Catalog
• For more on taking care of your family's papers, see How to Preserve Family Archives, from the National Archives, and Caring for Private and Family Collections, from the Northeast Document Conservation Center

About the Work/Cited Series

Episodes of Work/Cited air monthly via Zoom. View our scheduled events on the NYPL calendar, and sign up NYPL's Research Newsletter to hear about future programs as they are announced.   And if you miss an episode, check the NYPL blog, where videos and links to related resources will be posted shortly afterward.