Linda O’Byrne with Nick Campion: Jane Austen’s very, very ‘BAD BOYS’

Jane Austen’s heroes may have won the hearts of generations of readers, but what if her most memorable men are actually the ‘bad boys’?

In this lively and light-hearted talk, the author of the Ladies of Pemberley series explores Austen’s fascination with her charismatic rogues: Wickham, Willoughby, Crawford and Churchill. Looking beyond Colin Firth and Matthew Macfadyen to Austen’s original text, she asks why these men were considered wicked in their own time, whether their behaviour would be condemned today, and whether any of them have been unfairly maligned. Were Austen’s respectable heroes really as attractive as we think – or did she secretly prefer her charming villains?

With wit, affection and plenty of strong opinions, this is a chance to look at some of Austen’s most intriguing characters afresh and decide who is the worst of the lot.