History and Goals of the Burney Society
The Burney Society honours Frances Burney d'Arblay (1752-1840), a woman who recorded everything from Johnsonian wit to George III's fits, from Evelina's entrance into the world to Napoleon's last stand. Her acute observations about her family, friends, and 18th-century society show us how much, and how little, life and literature have changed in two centuries.
Her works played an essential role in the development of the novel and made writing women respectable. Her four novels--Evelina, Cecilia, Camilla, and The Wanderer--influenced and inspired a generation of writers, led by Jane Austen, who repaid her predecessor with a tribute in Northanger Abbey. Burney's father suppressed all but one of her plays in her lifetime, but since the plays were first published as a collection in 1995, her ability as a playwright can now be appreciated. As we read her novels and diaries, we find ourselves drawn into her life, which spanned five reigns. We understand her, suffer with her (her account of a mastectomy without anaesthesia made medical history) and rejoice with her. Her powers of expression and observation make it seem as if she herself has stepped off the page and into the present.
For all these reasons, The Burney Society was founded in New Orleans by Paula Stepankowsky, Lucy Magruder, and Dr. Jacqueline Reid-Walsh. Membership now numbers about 120 in Great Britain, the United States, Canada, and Australia. The purpose of the society is to promote the study and appreciation of Burney's works and of the life and times of her and her family.
For more information, please email burneysocietynorthamerica [at] gmail.com.
Burney Society UK Research Bursary 2024
The Burney Society welcomes applications for its 2024 Research Bursary. This competition is open to postgraduate students, precariously employed researchers and independent researchers from anywhere in the world who wish to undertake research on the Burney family and their wider circle. The Society offers £300 to support expenses towards a clearly defined research project - please note that childcare and digitisation are eligible expenses. The deadline for applications is 31 May 2024, and the winner will be announced at the Society Conference in June.
All relevant information can be found here: https://burneysociety.uk/research-bursary