Professor Bullard will be delivering a community lecture at River Academy on Thursday 27 November from 4.00 to 5.00pm, with guests invited to arrive from 3.45pm. The lecture, titled “Jane Austen: How a Reading Girl Invented the Modern Novel,” is open to everyone and promises an engaging look at how Austen’s local roots shaped her modern storytelling.

His lecture, “Jane Austen: How a Reading Girl Invented the Modern Novel,” draws on his teaching and research as a literary historian. “My students look at Austen as a writer who thinks a lot about landscapes, choices between the country and the city, and the relationship between small village communities and an increasingly accessible wide world,” he said. “Those landscapes and communities are very near to us here in Reading. I hope that it can be a point of connection between us and her.”

This project is deeply personal. “This work is important to me because I’m a trustee and supporter of Maiden Erlegh Trust,” he said. “I’m also working with colleagues on a revival of the old Reading Literary and Scientific Society, known in the nineteenth century as Reading Lit and Sci. That project is based around community lectures too, so I see this event at River Academy as the start of a longer journey.”

He hopes that projects like this will help bridge education and community. “Professionally, I expect to see future undergraduates where I work, the University of Reading, coming in increasing numbers from our local area. I want to encourage that because I believe it will strengthen our whole community, of which the university is an important but sometimes separate part.”

Professor Bullard’s approach has been shaped by the people he has met across MET. “Talking to the inspiring pupils, parents and teachers I’ve met has been central. It’s not always easy to find funding for community projects, and that’s something I’ve had to adapt to along the way.”

Reflecting on the MET values, he connects most strongly with Work Together and Aim High. “Work Together is obviously the key one, but I want to make a shout for Aim High as well. Reading is a vibrant town with a deep cultural history that is rarely sung about. I hope that we can all grow increasingly proud of it.”

Looking ahead, his focus is on keeping the momentum. “The key challenges with community projects are continuity and sustainability. The plan is to be here doing this in ten years’ time.”

Thank you Professor Bullard for your commitment to connecting education, culture and community, and for helping to make River Academy a hub for lifelong learning.