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More about this trip-
In April 2024, a small group will gather in Dorset, England to embark on our inaugural Persuasion pilgrimage, hiking and reflecting upon Jane Austen’s final novel. Led by Margaret H. Willison— Common Ground’s favorite Janeite— this trip will consist of daily class time, long walks, delicious food at local pubs, and many opportunities for quiet reflection. We will explore Persuasion through the theme of “selflessness,” a concept that has two meanings when applied to Anne Elliot, the novel’s protagonist: she both practices it (regularly putting others’ needs before her own) and suffers from it (attending so much to others that she becomes practically invisible, even to herself). Tracing her trajectory through the novel, we will put the text in conversation with our own lives, contemplating questions like: how do we distinguish between self-conceit and self-value? When our character is tied up in caring for others, how can we create boundaries without betraying our values? And: is selfishness sometimes not only necessary, but admirable?
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We will walk up to 12 miles each day, sometimes on hilly terrain. The weather in the UK is notoriously variant; it might be mild and sunny, or wet and windy, sometimes all in the same day. We won’t rush our walks, but we expect to be tired at the end of each day.
We will meet in Bath late morning on April 23rd
People who have attended another Common Ground pilgrimage will receive a 5% discount on the cost of the trip
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at commonground@notsorryproductions.com
Our trip will begin with half a day in Bath, the fashionable spa town where Anne Elliot reluctantly lives with her status-obsessed family, and then progress on to three and a half days in Lyme Regis, the seaside town where Anne first begins to reclaim herself. We will walk the Cobb, Lyme’s famous sea wall (where ideally no one will behave rashly and concuss themselves) and immerse ourselves in the rugged majesty of England’s Jurassic Coast. From rolling green hills to rocky beaches, we will roam broadly and meditate upon how the particulars of this place impacted Austen as she imagined this story. Our home base throughout will be the Hotel Alexandra, a stunning seaside hotel in the heart of Lyme Regis. Originally built in 1735 for the Dowager Countess Poulett, the Alexandra become a hotel in 1901, offering English peace, charm, and comfort to its guests for for over 100 years— a perfect setting for delving into the book that some (coughcough Margaret) call “the Austen fan’s Austen.” Common Ground has been dreaming up this trip for years and it is not one you’ll want to miss.
Trip Faculty
Margaret H. Willison
Faculty Leader (she/her)
Based in Boston, where she grew up, Margaret has a B.A. in English and History from Kenyon College, a Masters in Library Science from Simmons University, and a profound enthusiasm for 19th century British everything. You may know her from her work with Not Sorry, as a regular fourth chair on NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour, or simply because her ability to make friends and influence people is definitely on the mutant superpower, maybe-she-was-bitten-by-a-radioactive-social-butterfly level and cannot easily be contained. She loves mixing cocktails, dispensing on-call shopping advice to anyone in need, and attending concerts in the greater Boston area wherein any kind of woman plays any kind of guitar.
You can find her writing at twobossydames.substack.com.
Elizabeth Oldfield
Chaplain (she/her)
Elizabeth Oldfield is an experienced leader, speaker, writer and podcast host with a passion for intelligent public engagement on issues of faith, identity, and healing our common life. She appears regularly in the media, including BBC One, Sky News, the World Service, and writing in Prospect Magazine, UnHerd and The Financial Times.
She also hosts The Sacred, a podcast, events and visual content brand which creates space for a wide range of guests to reflect on their deepest values. She is motivated by the dearth of real wisdom in public life, by a desire to increase empathy across our deep differences and the way spirituality can help individuals and societies flourish. She has a masters in Theology and the Arts and lives in an intentional community in south London.
Elizabeth will be providing chaplaincy support throughout the pilgrimage, as she did on our 2022 and 2023 Pride & Prejudice Pilgrimages.
Mandy Sheppard
Logistics Coordinator (she/her)
Mandy has a BA in English Literature from the University of Sheffield, during which she found a love of Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters, amongst many other writers. Much more recently she completed an MA in Gender and Women’s Studies and English from the University of Lancaster. Her MA led her to specific interests in women’s health, post-colonial women’s literature, violence against women and girls, and motherhood studies. She does voluntary work with a charity whose purpose is to assist women experiencing domestic abuse. Her passions are reading, feminist theory, growing flowers from seed, and walking. She lives in rural Lancashire, UK with her husband and two children who share her love of books and reading, and especially Harry Potter!
Mandy will be the Logistics Coordinator for this pilgrimage.
“What wild imaginations one forms where dear self is concerned! How sure to be mistaken!”
-Jane Austen, Persuasion