Jane Austen was a 19th-century English novelist known for her literary classics Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Emma. She was born in Hampshire, England in 1775 and received most of her education at home from her father. As a young woman, Austen focused on her writing and drew inspiration from visits to her brothers in London and Kent. Although she struggled with living in Bath for a time, Austen found success in publishing her first novels after moving with her family to Chawton Cottage in Hampshire. She died in 1817 at the age of 41, but her final two novels were published after her death and all of her works remain popular today.

1. Jane Austen
Jane Austen was a 19th-century novelist from England. Her novels
Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Emma are literary classics.
Jane Austen was born in a small village in Hampshire, England
on December 16, 1775. She had six brothers and one sister.
Her sister Cassandra was her closest friend throughout her life.
As a young girl, Jane experimented with many types of writing,
including stories, plays, and poems. She enjoyed reading out loud
to her family and performing in plays. Jane and Cassandra received
most of their education at home in their father’s library.
As a young woman, Jane Austen remained at home and focused on her writing. She got many of her story ideas
while visiting her brothers Henry and Edward in London and Kent. Other ideas came from correspondence with
brothers Frank and Charles, who were both in the Royal Navy.
In 1800, Jane’s parents moved to Bath with their daughters.
Jane wasn’t crazy about living in a big city, and she found it difficult to write. When her father died a few years
later, the Austen women became dependent on relatives for inancial assistance. In 1808, Jane, Cassandra, and
their mother moved into Chawton Cottage in Hampshire. The quieter lifestyle allowed Jane to get back to work
on her novels.
With the help of her brother Henry, Jane Austen published Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility in 1811
and 1813. Both books were published anonymously “By a Lady.” Austen’s publisher, Thomas Egerten, was
pleased with the reviews and agreed to publish Mansfield Park the following year.
In 1815, Austen switched publishing companies. John Murray, a well-known London publisher, released Emma
as well as a second edition of Mansfield Park. At this time, the Austen brothers began to experience their own
financial difficulties, and Jane Austen had to postpone her publishing career.
In 1816, Britain’s beloved author became very ill. She continued
to work on her stories but didn’t have enough energy to focus on publishing. Jane Austen died on July 18, 1817,
at the age of 41. Her final two novels, Persuasion and Northanger Abbey, were published posthumously. All of
Jane Austen’s novels remain popular today and are now in the public domain. Film adaptations of her novels
are also very popular.