In a world where societal expectations kept women tethered to domestic responsibilities and far from the publishing world, Jane Austen broke through those barriers with remarkable determination. She lived during a period that actively discouraged female authors, yet she still managed to bring six novels into the world before her passing — every single one published without her name attached.
Fun Facts
- Jane Austen was born on December 16, 1775, in Steventon Rectory, Hampshire, England.
- Her early novel 'Sense and Sensibility' earned Jane Austen a notable 140 pounds — a sum that granted her a degree of financial independence that was exceptionally rare for a female writer in that period.
- Before settling in Deane and raising their family, Jane Austen's parents were married at St. Swithin's church.
- Her father, George Austen, served as rector of the Anglican parishes in Steventon and eventually relocated to Deane.
- On July 18, 1817, Jane Austen died at just 41 years old; her exact cause of death remains unknown, though she herself noted symptoms including a loss of color in her skin and intense back pain.
- Following Jane Austen's passing, plans were put in motion to release Persuasion and Northanger Abbey together as a set.
Jane Austen wrote the following novels:
- Sense and Sensibility (1811)
- Pride and Prejudice (1813)
- Mansfield Park (1814)
- Emma (1815)
- Lady Susan (1871)
Northanger Abbey (1818)