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Jane Austen’s 250th birthday is celebrated through costume events all over Britain, where her most devoted fans come together in handmade Regency attire to express their admiration for the trailblazing author.
“This feels like a Jane Austen Comic-Con, a convention just for her,” said Amy Chagnon, a San Diego high school English teacher, to NBC News recently in the gardens of Jane Austen’s House. Once a cottage and now a museum in southern England, it is where the writer spent her last years.
All six of Austen’s novels were penned or revised in the house’s vibrant rooms. Today, it’s a significant site for fans like Chagnon and central to the anniversary events.
Adorned in a high-waisted gray gown and shaded by a lace parasol, the 40-year-old Chagnon visited various Austen landmarks in the U.K. She cited inspiration from both the author’s novels and her personal story.
Austen was born in December 1775, just a few months before Britain’s troublesome American colonies declared their independence.
Lizzie Dunford, the director of Jane Austen’s House, shared in an interview, “Austen’s writing focuses on women’s experiences, delving into her characters’ minds and emotions. She captures the small, impactful moments that define our lives.”
That’s why readers from 1813 could connect with her work, and why people today feel the same way, as she so vividly draws readers into her characters’ inner worlds.
“Pride and Prejudice” has sold more than 20 million copies over two centuries and has never been out of print since its first publication in 1813, Dunford said.
“I want to tell you that I have got my own darling child from London,” Austen wrote to her sister upon receiving her first copy of the book.
A new Netflix adaptation is currently in production. The streaming giant announced in July that Emma Corrin, who previously played Princess Diana in “The Crown,” would star as Bennet, while Oscar winner Olivia Colman would play her anxious mother. It follows the 2005 film version starring Keira Knightley and a 1995 BBC production that helped launch the career of Colin Firth.
Celebrations to mark the anniversary of Austen’s birth are scheduled throughout the year in locations across the U.K. including Bath and Winchester, the city near Chawton that’s home to her final resting place, which has opened to the public for the first time. Several events have also been planned by the Jane Austen Society of North America.
