Author, journalist and founder of the literary group Jane Austen Society of Pakistan, Laaleen Sukhera-Khan was recently in Washington DC as the guest of the prestigious Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA). Here, she shares glimpses from her trip, which included speaking on an international panel and representing Pakistan in front of an audience of 850; discussing her first anthology titled “Austenistan” which is inspired by Austen and set in Pakistani society; as well as taking in the sights and sounds around the city.

At a mural depicting the historic suffragette movement, wearing Sublime by Sara Shahid.
2. A beautiful display at Bingley’s Teas.
3. Will & Jane, an exhibit on the lives of Austen and Shakespeare at the Folger Shakespeare
Library
4. Discussing Jane Austen in Pakistan at the Muse District, a creative space dedicated to promoting South Asian arts, moderated by Huffington Post’s Akbar Shahid Ahmed (Photo by Muse District, Mubeen ul Islam & Nausheen Ilahi)
6. Kate Hamill’s adaptation of “Sense & Sensibility” at the Folger (Photo by Tina Fineberg, New York Times).
7. “Emma is presented in Washington DC” programme
8. Election memorabilia.
9. With Nausheen Ilahi, Fatima Chaudhry, Sheherbano Burki, Shamiela Mir and Aleea Khan.
10. JASNA brunch centerpiece.
11. The first course at
the JASNA banquet.
12. At the Regency Ball.