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Celebrating Austen Across England

by | Jun 2, 2025 | News

This year marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of famous author Jane Austen.

Jane Austen was famous for her books on middle class English society, and is seen as a direct influence on the modern fiction books we read today.

This is despite only publishing four books in her lifetime – Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Mansfield Park and Sense and Sensibility.

Her books have sold millions of copies all around the world and have been turned into TV shows, films and even musicals.

Jane Austen was born on 16 December 1775 in the village of Steventon in Hampshire.

She was one of eight children, having six brothers and one sister.

Jane fell in love with reading and writing from a young age, often putting on plays for the family with her older sister Cassandra.

During her lifetime Jane Austen completed six novels, two of which were published after her death.

While Jane was alive, her novels were published anonymously – which means she didn’t put her name down as the author and kept it secret – saying instead it was written by ‘A Lady’. After Jane’s death aged 41, her sister Cassandra and brother Henry published two more of her books together – Persuasion and Northanger Abbey.

Henry also wrote a special biography about Jane to go alongside the books, where he revealed her identity as the author of all of her novels.

Sense and Sensibility (1811)

Sisters Elinor and Marianne Dashwood make a new life with their mother and younger sister after their father dies; the story follows the twists and turns of their family’s fortunes. The novel sold out its first print run of 750 copies by the middle of 1813, and was a huge success.

 

Pride and Prejudice (1813)

Arguably Jane Austen’s most famous work. It follows the story of heroine Elizabeth Bennet and her four sisters, who all have to manage the expectations of marriage and romance placed on them by society.

 

Mansfield Park (1814)

Fanny Price, a young girl, is sent away from her home in Portsmouth to live with her wealthy aunt and uncle’s house in Mansfield Park, where she uncovers secrets and love.

Emma (1815)

Emma Woodhouse, a young, wealthy woman ends up meddling in the relationships of people in the fictional country village of Highbury with mixed success.

Jane’s fifth and sixth novels were published by her brother and sister after her death in 1817.

 

Northanger Abbey follows Catherine Morland whose love of spooky gothic novels, and strong imagination get her into a bit of trouble as she tries to navigate society.

Persuasion tells the story of Anne Elliot who gets a second chance at love, after being encouraged to turn down an engagement by her family and friends. Jane’s novels centred on a few main themes – love, family, wealth and social expectations.

In her novels she regularly poked fun at how people expected women to behave at the time.

Her books are usually focused on one or two heroines who use their wit and intelligence to overcome challenges thrown their way.

During the time Jane was alive, it was quite rare for women to be published authors, as women did not have very many rights.

One of the only ways a woman could secure her future at the time was by marrying someone who was wealthy or powerful.

Jane herself never married – but she was very close to her family, including her sister, her brothers and her many nieces and nephews. Jane Austen is celebrated today for her work as an author, during a time when women weren’t encouraged to have a public voice.

In 2013 Jane Austen was chosen to be the great British historical figure featured on the first-ever plastic £10 banknote when it was released in 2017.

And in 2025 a statue of Jane Austen will be built and placed outside Winchester Cathedral, where she is buried, to celebrate the 250th anniversary of her birth.

2025 marks 250 years since Jane’s birth. Her actual birthday is December 16, but festivities are happening across the country throughout the year.

Below are some places in England which are worth visiting if you are a big Austen fan.

Bath

Here’s a fun fact: Bath is mentioned in all six of Jane Austen’s novels and is the main setting of two of them. It’s basically the Jane Austen capital. So it makes sense that the city is hosting a vast array of revelries to mark her birthday.

There will be a big costumed promenade through the city on September 13 and a programme of Austen-inspired gala balls.

There’s a ‘Persuasion’-themed balls and another based on the unfinished novel, ‘Sanditon’ on June 28. Later in the year there will be a ‘Sense and Sensibility’-themed soirée and Yuletide Jane Austen Birthday ball, both at Bath Pump Rooms. You can keep an eye out for tickets going on sale for all of those here.

Hampshire

Winchester Cathedral is Jane Austen’s final resting place. It plans to commemorate her by exhibiting the manuscript of her poem ‘To the Memory of Mrs Lefroy’ for the first time and unveiling a new statue. No. 8 College, where the author spent the final weeks of her life, is opening to the public for the first time and Gallery in the Arc is putting on an exhibition titled ‘Beyond the Bonnets: Working Women in Jane Austen’s Novels’.

Elsewhere in Hampshire, Jane lived in a cottage in Chawton (now known as Jane Austen’s House) for the final eight years of her life. So, naturally, anniversary celebrations are being held there too. Its programme includes an ‘Austenmania!’ exhibition, a re-enactment of the first ever reading of Pride and Prejudice more than 200 years ago and a number of talks, guided tours and workshops based on individual novels.

Reading

At nine years old, little Jane Austen was sent away to school in Reading for 18 months. Two centuries later, her former school room in Reading’s Abbey Quarter is opening for a series of 250th anniversary events. There will be guided visits of the school room every Saturday from April to October, which can be booked online in the spring.

Just outside of the city, Basildon Park, which was used as a filming location for ‘Pride and Prejudice’, is holding a festival all about the novel. It’ll include a free trail through the house, writing workshops, sewing sessions and live performances.  

Southampton

Jane lived in Southampton for a brief time, too. Her links to this city are lesser-known, but it’s where she supposedly celebrated her 18th birthday and later lived from 1806 to 1809. Celebrations here have already kicked off with a major exhibition at God’s House Tower showcasing Austen’s travelling writing desk.

Throughout the year, Austen fans can also download a free walking map that takes you to eight locations with a connection to the author. 

 

Derbyshire

Chatsworth House, which featured as Mr Darcy’s country estate in the 2005 ‘Pride and Prejudice’ movie, is hosting a winter ball inspired by the novel. The soirée will conclude Chatsworth’s Austen250 programme, which also includes an outdoor film screening, expert talks, live opera and craft workshops.

 

 

 

 

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