I’ve done it.

Last week, I told you I was on deadline, and now I am free. That is right—I have finished my 32nd book.

I turned it in to my publisher. It will be my next historical fiction, coming in at 105,000 words, and I am so excited.

I did something I’ve never done before. Multiple POVs. Caribbean history blended with American history. I have cars and horse-drawn carriages. Letters written and sealed under wax. Candlelight and electric lights.

I can’t give you much more detail yet, but it is my brand—a powerful saga, women-centric, with women doing things we need to know about, finding rooms they weren’t supposed to be in and pushing forward questions we all should be asking and answering.

So I should be coming out of deadline talking about nothing but joy.

But at the same time, one of the most disconcerting things has been happening.

There is always nonsense going on in the book sphere, the academic sphere, and the tech sphere—the three worlds I pay a lot of attention to.

And this past week, it was academia.

There was a young Black professor at Cambridge named Jason Arday. He was not a perfect person. None of us are. But he suddenly became the center of accusations of plagiarism and an enormous public storm.

In a matter of days, it became a nightmare in the press.

An investigation by NewsCord, which I will link her, counted every substantive and distinct article about Jason Arday from July 24 through August 14, 2026. Their count was:

* 249 articles in 22 days

* 188 articles in the final nine days—from his August 5 resignation through August 14

* That’s an average of 20.9 articles per day

Article after article. Imagine the tons of social-media impressions fueled by this much press. People attacked him, defending him, picked him apart. 9 days, his final 9 day, 188 articles.

That looks like a digital lynching.

It must feel like that.

And it proves something I’ve talked about: when somebody has a grievance, when somebody needs a scapegoat, why so often a Black neck, a POC neck, or a woman’s neck becomes a doormat to step on.

Today, I don’t want to use my words to talk about what happened to Jason Arday.

I want you to hear his family’s words.

While the rest of the world was debating a professor’s humanity, they watched someone they loved go through this storm.

Now they are grieving him.

This has been an incredibly painful time for our family, and we are still coming to terms with the tragic loss of our beloved Jason. What has become clear over the past 72 hours is the profound impact he had on people.

We are grateful to all who have created light in this dark time through kindness, generosity and solidarity. Your presence here to remember him this evening means a lot to us, and while we cannot be there in person, please know that we stand with you in spirit.

The public cruelty Jason was subjected to was too much for any man to bear. The outpouring of love, support and grief since his death means so much to us, although it is bittersweet. Kindness is needed in life, not just in death. We’ll never know what might have been different had he experienced more of it while he was still here.

What we do know is how deeply he was loved, and we wish to especially thank those who knew Jason in life and tried to get through to him, who supported him in his darkest hour, and who saw the person in the middle of this awful storm.

If you would like to share a message of condolence, memory, or support with Jason Arday’s family, please do so using this contact:

TheArdayFamily@gmail.com

No book recs today. I want to publicize a legitimate Go Fund Me for his family.

https://gofund.me/ce60c7ec0

And if you are struggling with your mental health:

In the United States:

Call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It is available 24 hours a day.

In the United Kingdom and Ireland:

Call Samaritans at 116 123, free, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

In England:

For urgent mental-health help, call NHS 111 and select the mental-health option.

If someone’s life is in immediate danger, call emergency services—911 in the United States or 999 in the United Kingdom.

If you are worried about somebody, ask about them. Help them connect with professional support.

Kindness is needed in life, not just in death.

Let’s be better and have a better week.

* Support your local bookstores, especially your indies.

You can find my notes on Substack or on my website, VanessaRiley.com, under the podcast link in the About tab.

Hey. Let’s keep building together. I need you. That is the truth. Like, share, subscribe, and stay connected to Write of Passage.

Thank you for being here.

I want you to come again. This is Vanessa Riley.

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit vanessariley.substack.com/subscribe

This marks the third week I’ve been at a conference or retreat—three weeks of sharing my craft and my conviction that writing can, and does, change the world.

This past week, I had the distinct privilege of speaking at the Jane Austen Society of North America’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Baltimore, Maryland. Picture it: nearly 800 devoted Janeites, many dressed in exquisite Regency attire, their hearts united by a love of Austen’s words and worlds. Together, we gathered to celebrate her 250th birthday, to attend lectures by leading Austen scholars, to browse through stalls of clever trinkets and custom editions—and, to my amazement, to hear my thoughts on Austen’s influence on modern storytelling.

I was invited to share my perspective on writing, on adaptations, and the enduring relevance of Jane Austen. As a historical consultant for Hallmark’s 2024 adaptation of Sense and Sensibility, I’ve had the rare opportunity to help bring Austen’s timeless wit and social commentary into our dialogue with today’s audiences. Standing before hundreds of Austen lovers, I found myself reflecting not only on her genius but on how far the literary community—and I—have come.

If you had asked me five, even three, years ago whether I could imagine speaking at JASNA, I would have said no. Those years were turbulent for many organizations grappling with questions of diversity and inclusion—questions about who gets to sit at the table, whose stories are valued, and whose aren’t.

The Romance Writers of America (RWA) suffered a painful implosion and has struggled to regain its footing. The Regency Fiction Writers (formerly The Beau Monde chapter) took a different path, embracing diversity—of membership, of stories, of the Regency itself—and has grown to over 400 members. And now, seeing JASNA’s visible efforts toward inclusion, I feel very hopeful. From what I witnessed this weekend, it seems as though the Society is choosing the right side of history, the one where everyone who loves Jane is welcomed.

When I took the stage in front of more than 700 people, I spoke about my Jane. Not the quaint figure of teacups and curtsies, but a woman aware of her world—a writer who knew not only of tea and indigo, but of war and enslavement. I spoke of the broader Regency landscape, of women like Dorothy Kirwan Thomas, who funded Kensington House a school for mixed-race girls on Marylebone Street in London, and of the Queen of Haiti, whose reign overlapped precisely with the English Regency. Austen’s world, I reminded, was never as small or as whitewashed as it’s often portrayed.

When I spoke of film adaptation, I shared how every detail—from hair and costume to script and set design—was chosen with intention on the Hallmark project. The goal was not to modernize Austen, but to honor her and plausibly expand the visible world, that Jane knew as evidenced by her own inclusion of marginalized characters.

We wanted to tell stories that reflect pride and power without bowing to prejudice. I think Hallmarks succeeded. Yet, when I showed Facebook responses to the announcement of the film and how vile or witless some can be, I told the audience that the power of adaptation is in their hands. How you respond, what you welcome, makes a difference.

On Thursday night, I sat with longtime JASNA members—women who have been part of the Society for ten, twenty, even thirty years. They insisted that the organization wasn’t just a bunch readers in costume; they were true believers in Austen’s ideals: of intelligence, integrity, and independence of thought.

If an organization is to thrive, its reach must be more than cosplay. It must open real seats at the table, and its members must open their hearts and minds, actively creating spaces for everyone to feel welcome.

I am deeply grateful—to the Jane Austen Society of North America for their warmth, their curiosity, and their courage to expand the conversation. This was so much more than an AGM; it was a celebration of Austen’s 250th birthday, and the exhibition of the living, breathing legacy she continues to inspire.

This week’s book list includes:

Jane Austen’s Emma: A Sourcebook edited by Paula Byrne – Read this to see how Austen’s most socially astute novel emerges from the same complex world of class, gender, and perception that still challenges us to write—and adapt—with awareness.

The Making of Jane Austen by Devoney Looser – This lively history reveals how Austen herself has been continually adapted and reimagined, proving that every era.

3. A Guide to Regency Dress: From Corsets and Breeches to Bonnets and Muslins by Hilary Davidson – Essential for understanding the textures and details that bring authenticity to any adaptation.

4. Jane Austen: Visual Encyclopedia by Claire Saim and Gwen Giret – A feast for the eyes and mind, this illustrated compendium shows how Austen’s world continues to inspire art, film, and storytelling.

This week, I’m highlighting Brave and Kind Bookshop through their website and Bookshop.org

The preorder campaign has begun, get your collector cards for Fire Sword and Sea—Help me build momentum for this historical fiction. Please ask your local library to carry this novel. Come on. It’s lady pirates in the 1600s. This saga releases January 13, 2026. The link on my website shows retailers that are in on the campaign. Get the collector cards while supplies last.

You can find my notes on Substack or on my website, VanessaRiley.com under the podcast link in the About tab.

Our stories matter—tap like, hit subscribe, share, and let’s keep this movement alive with Write of Passage.

Thank you for listening. Hopefully, you’ll come again. This is Vanessa Riley.

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit vanessariley.substack.com/subscribe

Originally posted 2025-10-14 13:10:00.