Who was Jane Austen?
Jane Austen was an English novelist known for her witty, perceptive novels about love, marriage and social class, including Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility and Emma. She is one of the most widely read writers in English literature.
Austen was born in 1775 in Steventon, Hampshire, the daughter of a clergyman. She began writing as a teenager, entertaining her family with stories.
Her novels were published anonymously during her lifetime, credited to A Lady. Sense and Sensibility was published in 1811 and Pride and Prejudice in 1813.
Her novels
Austen wrote six major novels: Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion. The last two were published after her death.
Her books are known for their humor, irony and sharp observations of English society. Characters such as Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy remain beloved.
Austen lived in Bath for several years and later in the village of Chawton, Hampshire, where her house is now the Jane Austen's House museum.
She died in Winchester in 1817 at the age of 41 and is buried in Winchester Cathedral. Her novels have been adapted many times for film and television. Her portrait appeared on the Bank of England £10 note from 2017.