born on December 16, 1775, in Steventon, Hampshire, England
died on July 18, 1817, in Winchester, England
British writer
250th birthday on December 16, 2025
Biography
Jane Austen grew up in rural England in the 18th century, enjoying a sheltered childhood in a middle-class home. Through her mother's side of the family, the Austens had regular contact with the landed gentry and so-called “high society”; her father was a clergyman who was supported by wealthy relatives.
Jane Austen's upbringing and education were in line with the prevailing view of women at the time. Five of her brothers (a sixth brother was disabled and therefore did not receive a conventional education) enjoyed a regular school education, whereas Jane and her sister Cassandra were only prepared for their traditional roles as wives and housewives, mothers and hostesses.
The two sisters spent their youth in an environment of a bourgeoisie that was emancipating itself under the influence of the French Revolution, with the emerging middle-class intent on demonstrating their newly gained self-confidence also by imitating the “aristocratic” way of life. Austen would later employ satire in her novels to critique her contemporaries and their aspirations.
Acquiring books and magazines was expensive as the mass production of literature did not yet exist; publishing a book also required a financial investment as at the time the authors themselves (few of whom were women) typically had to finance the production and distribution of their books.
Jane Austen had access to the books in her family’s comparatively extensive library as well as to those shared in reading circles. She began writing poems, short stories, and plays at an early age and was soon entertaining her large family and many relatives with them.
However, there was very little money, and following the death of her father Jane had to concentrate primarily on taking care of the family, since the responsibility for managing the household then fell upon her. Despite limited resources, she was able to at least partially finance the printing of her works; later the novels she published even provided her with a tidy sum. Jane Austen never married (the romance with her first suitor was cut short by his family, and a second suitor died prematurely) and she lived a rather secluded life surrounded by family and friends.
She is one of the few authors of the early 19th century who are still read today and whose novels have been successfully adapted for film. Her works are characterized by apt descriptions of “society,” humor, and satire.
Jane Austen once remarked that it was not possible to work “when one's head is full of mutton legs and rhubarb.” She is right. Nevertheless, she managed the impossible.
(Text from 1999; translated with DeepL.com; edited by Ramona Fararo, 2025. Please consult the German version for additional information, pictures, sources, videos, and bibliography.)
Quotes
In every power, of which taste is the foundation, excellence is pretty fairly divided between the sexes. (Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey, 1818)
I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of anything than of a book! When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library. (Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, 1811)
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