Due for publication 13th March 2025

Two centuries after Jane Austen passed away at only forty one years old, we continue to seek hints about the remarkable life of this author. What might be uncovered if the objects that she came across in her life could talk?

Among objects described in this book are a teenage notebook, a muslin shawl, a wallpaper fragment, a tea caddy, the theatrical poster for a play she attended and the dining-room grate at Chawton Cottage where she lived. Poignantly, the last manuscript page of her unfinished novel and a lock of hair kept by her devoted sister, Cassandra, are also featured. Objects contributing to Jane Austen’s rich cultural legacy include a dinner plate decorated by Bloomsbury artists Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, Grayson Perry’s commemorative pot from 2009 and Mr Darcy’s wet shirt, worn by Colin Firth in the 1995 BBC adaptation.

Explore a different take on the meaning of biography, in which Jane Austen’s legacy is gleaned from objects. Each object, illustrated in colour, offer their own snapshots into Jane Austen’s life, speaking eloquently of what we already know and shedding new light on one of our best loved authors.

Kathryn Sutherland is Senior Research Fellow, St Anne’s College,
Oxford.

• Hardback
• 224 pages, 210 x 161 mm
• ISBN 9781851245819
• Publication March 2025