This morning, a parcel arrived at the Imperial Residence.
Inside the parcel was a copy of The Gentleman’s Bedside Companion by Tom Cutler, a book published last year which describes itself as “a bracing collection of information, humour and curiosity”. The book had been ordered online, as just under a year ago a user named Unscintillating added it as a reference supporting Austenasia’s place on Wikipedia.
Sure enough, upon recieving the book, the Imperial Family has found it to include a short entry on the Empire in a list of other “micronations”. It briefly explains that Austenasia was founded in 2008, has three territories, and a national anthem based on God Save the Queen. Despite incorrectly describing Glencrannog (the square foot of land in Scotland acquired by the government in February 2009) as a “nearby house” – presumably mistaking it with Zephyria – being featured in this book is certainly a great achievement for the Empire.
The Gentleman’s Bedside Companion is thought to be the first widely published book containing descriptions of individual micronations since Micronations: The Lonely Planet Guide to Home-Made Nations was published in 2006.
The book, in which Austenasia can be found on page 218, can be ordered online by following this link.
