Not heard of Catherine Nevison? Born Catherine Moody in 1798, she became Catherine Nevison when her mother remarried Charles Nevison, and later Catherine Gore upon marrying Lieutenant Charles Arthur Gore. Undoubtedly influenced by Jane Austen, Catherine became the most prolific novelist of her time. The Times obituary in 1861 described her as “the best novel writer of her class and the wittiest woman of her age.” She published more than seventy books, along with numerous plays and songs.

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Rummage in the Reticule
Rummage in the Reticule is the magazine’s imagined exploration of a historical personality’s handbag. Catherine was fifteen when Pride and Prejudice was published. We envisioned her forging a voucher for Almack’s, the premier social club of her day, only to be discovered upon arrival. Using her quick wit, she charms Almack’s patronesses, the powerful influencers who controlled the guest list, thus securing her place among society’s elite.