
Jane Austen
Jane Austen
Born: 16/12/1775 Died: 18/07/1817 Gender: Female Occupation: NovelistDuring her lifetime, Jane Austen’s writing brought her little fame, but today there are few English novelists who are better known or better loved. She is the author of six novels, including Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813) and Emma (1816). Rich in comedy, romance, wit and satire, Austen’s novels are also pin-sharp reflections of her social and geographical milieu in and around Hampshire, Bath and Dorset.
Image source: by Cassandra Austen, pencil and watercolour, circa 1810Featured works
Jane Austen’s Juvenilia
Title: A History of England Published: 1790-93 Created date: 1790-93 Format: Prose Genre: Satire Learn moreRelated articles

Female education, reading and Jane Austen
The late 18th and early 19th centuries saw fierce debates about the nature and purpose of women’s education. Professor Kathryn Sutherland assesses these debates and describes the education and reading practices of Jane Austen and her female characters.

Jane Austen: social realism and the novel
Jane Austen fills her novels with ordinary people, places and events, in stark contrast to other novels of the time. Professor Kathryn Sutherland considers the function of social realism in Austen’s work.

Gender roles in the 19th century
From marriage and sexuality to education and rights, Professor Kathryn Hughes looks at attitudes towards gender in 19th-century Britain.