This month marks the 250th birthday of Jane Austen. She remains one of the most celebrated and enduring figures in English literature. Jane Austen was born into the family of a country rector 16th December 1775, now 250 years after her birth, her six completed novels are still widely read and continue to captivate readers around the world. Rich in social commentary, societal expectations and a keen insight into the lives of women in the early 19th century, Austen’s works offer a timeless exploration of class, relationships, and ability to shape personal circumstances and outcomes.
Despite her literary brilliance, Austen was never publicly acknowledged as a writer during her lifetime, a quiet legacy that only grew in stature after her death.
Six complete novels by Jane Austen:
- Sense & Sensibility (first published 1811)
- Pride & Prejudice (first published 1813)
- Mansfield Park (first published 1814)
- Emma (first published 1815)
- Northanger Abbey (first published 1817)
- Persuasion (first published 1817)
Austen never completed her final novel Sanditon as she passed away in July 1817 at the age of 41. Several authors have since completed Jane Austen's unfinished novel Sanditon, including Juliette Shapiro, Marie Dobbs, and Austen’s niece Anna Austen Lefroy.