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Heyer Today

Heyer Today: a podcast about Georgette Heyer 

Last year, we won bronze for our season 1: The Sugar Baby Confessionals. This year, we’ve given ourselves a massive challenge: we’ve created a series twice as long, with over 39 participants, original music, a cinematic investigation and a book club rolled into one.

And guess what? Episode 1, featuring Stephen Fry, is already out now!

From February 2020, we’ll be releasing half our epic season on a weekly basis. What’s it like? Try a mash up of You Must Remember This, Unspooled and the Guardian Books Podcast. It’s hilarious, poignant, insightful, historically fascinating, smart and full of fabulous guests (who? Glad you asked… only Stephen Fry, Joanne Harris, Harriet Evans, Mary Jo Putney…to name but three).

What’s it about?

“I think myself I ought to be shot for writing such nonsense.”

As a bestselling author, Georgette Heyer hasn’t been out of print since 1921 – so why hasn’t Hollywood snapped up her plots for a big screen franchise?

  • Jane Austen – 6 best-selling Regency romances; 6 major screen adaptations.
  • Georgette Heyer – 34 best-selling Regency romances; 0 major screen adaptations.

One major film producer has been trying to get the first big screen adaptation of Heyer’s ‘The Grand Sophy’ made for years, but what’s been standing in the way? We’ll investigate the difficulties facing film makers when it comes to period work.

Plus, find out what the uber-Heyerites think of Sophy’s choice. We chat to Peter Buckman (agent for Heyer’s estate) about his struggles with trying to get a Heyer film made, and we  chart his journey towards adapting one of her books himself.

Join our Regency romance book club!

Every alternate week, we’ll attempt to convert people who’ve never heard of Heyer, including comedians Emma Moran, Glen Tickle, Dom Patmore, Rhiannon Shaw and Kate Hinksman.

Discover what Hollywood producers, Australian biographers, British national treasures and worldwide readers think about Heyer’s popularity. And join super-fans and newbies as they discover and discuss some of the top-selling novels of our time – in Heyer Today.

Highlights include:

  • Actor Stephen Fry on how he came to be hooked on Heyer
  • Author Joanne Harris on why adapting books into film can be problematic
  • Producer Andy Paterson discusses a mystery project and the difficulties of bringing Heyer’s work to the screen
  • Best-selling historical romance novelist, Mary Jo Putney, on writing Regency romance through a 21st century lens
  • Peter Buckman on his joy in adapting Heyer’s work
  • Romance novelist Harriet Evans lists her all-time favourite Heyers and why
  • Susannah Fullerton, head of the Jane Austen Society in Australia, compares Austen and Heyer
  • Acclaimed biographer Jennifer Kloester shares some anecdotes about her journey in discovering never-before-seen letters from Heyer and doing Heyer justice
  • Blogger Eleanor Turner (Jane to Georgette) discusses Heyer related on-dits and crim cons
  • Comedians who’ve never read Heyer, fall in love (or not!) with her work
  • Author Jane Holland and literary agent Alison Bonami from LBA on Heyer’s greatest romantic heroes
  • Audio drama inspired by Heyer’s life
  • Music from the incomparable Emma Gatrill and Message to Bears, plus original music composed especially for the podcast

PLEASE RATE, REVIEW AND SUBSCRIBE TO KEEP US GOING…

  1. All Episodes
  2. False Colours

False Colours

Dec 8, 2021

It's Heyer Today, the epic literary aural feast celebrating the life and work of historical novelist supremo, Georgette Heyer.

Today is our 10th book club episode – this week we’re discussing False Colours with two fabulous ladies: Jenni Waugh, who has worked on the Jane Austen Centre website and social media channels in Bath, and Rhiannon Shaw, a comedian who’s written for The Daily Mash, BBCs Newsjack, Succubus Magazine and TurtleCanyon.com.

(Jenni pictured here with Mr Darcy)

But will the two ladies be converted?

Show notes:

To keep up with Rhiannon and to read more funny jokes, follow her on Twitter – she’s @rhiannoneshaw

You can find Karin Heimdahl here. She was our wonderful voice talent today playing Nora Samuelli, while Sara-Mae played her sister, Annie.

The music used in this episode is from Emma Gattril’s wondrous album, Chapter I, as well as Jerome Alexander’s luscious Message to Bears work. Original music was composed especially for the podcast, by Sara-Mae and Tom Chadd.

Comment and take part in our discussions on social media, we’re @fablegazers on Instagram and @fable_gazers on Twitter.

Special thanks to the Audible team for letting us use an extract from the book. Do go out and buy it, it’s a fabulous listen.

Remember to rate, review and subscribe…I can’t tell you how much it helps small indie companies like us to thrive.

Thanks also to Jude Knight, for reading from her article The Regency Sex Trade.

*Apologies for the mispronunciation of Evelyn throughout.*

Re sex work in the 18th century. We found Victoire Sanborn’s Jane Austen’s World blog to be a delight. She also has some great Heyer reviews, and recommended this Heyer short story for your delectation.

Sanborn found the source in The Happy Magazine, September 1922.

Websites:

We discussed:

  • Bath Tangle
  • Persuasion
  • Emma
  • Instead of the Thorn

Heyer Today is a Fable Gazers production.