Jane Austen was born in Steventon, Hampshire, England as the seventh of eight children. While the entire Austen family was remarkably close, Jane shared a special bond with her sister, Cassandra. All of the Austen children took a special interest in staging amateur plays and reading extensively. Though Jane had little formal education, she was a great reader, writer, and critic from a very young age.

Miss Austen’s writing career began when she was just 13 years old, and by the time she was 23, Jane had written Lady Susan, and two novels that would eventually become Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice. She published her novels anonymously, citing herself simply as “a lady”. Sadly, not all of Jane’s works were published during her lifetime and she died at the age of 41 from Addison’s disease.

Yet, long after her death, Jane Austen’s works have been praised for their wit, charm, and unequalled passion. Perhaps it is the timelessness of her tales that has captivated readers for centuries. “Pride and Prejudice”, “Sense and Sensibility”, “Persuasion”, and “Mansfield Park” are among her most popular works. “Pride and Prejudice” is arguably the greatest love story of all time and has been reproduced and has inspired more films than perhaps any other. Jane Austen remains one of the most celebrated and beloved authors of all time.

Websites devoted to Jane Austen

Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict
Diversions for Austen fans who dearly love a laugh, by Laurie Viera Rigler, author of Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, a novel that explores the question, "What if I could live in Austen's time?"

The Republic of Pemberley
Rabid fans, enough said
Jane Austen Information and Discussion

General Jane Austen fans
Austenfans is a discussion group and information on the works, life, and culture of Jane Austen, the Regency and other historical novels. Free online copies of her letters and novels, as well as illustrations and free illustrated novels.

Jane Austen news and pop culture
A compendium of news about Jane Austen in popular culture.

Austentagious
Austentatious: marked by, or fond of, conspicuous or vainglorious and sometimes pretentious display of all things related to Jane Austen