While Decembers are always full of important holidays and events, this December is particularly special as we celebrate the 250th birthday of one of the most notable writers in the English language - Jane Austen. Her six novels have been translated into languages from all across the globe and have been adapted for the screen countless times. She has left an indelible mark on literature, but the life of the woman who created famous characters like Mr. Darcy and Emma Woodhouse is less known than her creations.
Jane Austen was born on December 16, 1775 as the youngest daughter of a clergyman and was one of eight siblings six boys and two girls. Jane was especially close to her older sister, Cassandra, and the two exchanged many letters, some of which can still be read today. From an early age, Jane showed an interest in writing, assembling a large collection of works now known as the Juvenilia. These early works show Jane’s proclivity and talent for writing satire, such as Love and Freindship which parodied popular novels of sensibility of the time. All of Austen’s six later novels use comedy as a lens to view society of the day, with a special focus given to women’s dependence on marriage for societal and economic security. Despite giving all her heroines happy marriages at the end of her books, Austen herself never married, though there are two men to whom she has been linked. The first was Tom Lefroy, an Irish barrister (lawyer), but neither had enough money to wed. The second was a family friend, Harris Bigg-Wither, whose proposal she initially accepted but then rejected a day later. Austen was thus keenly aware of the tenuous position women were in if they did not marry, as after the death of her father in 1805 she and her also unmarried sister were dependent on the kindness of their friends and family for lodging. Austen published Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, and Emma anonymously under the pseudonym “a Lady” to earn money for her family. While her novels were well received and were even praised by royalty, she was not as well known during her lifetime. Austen died relatively young at the age of 41 on July 18, 1817. Her final two completed novels, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, were published together posthumously along with a notice written by her brother Henry which identified Jane as the author of the four previous novels. After Jane’s death, Cassandra burned many of her letters, a standard practice at the time that has unfortunately left the author somewhat an enigma.
Interest in Jane and her works continued to increase after her death. Successful film adaptations such as the 1995 and 2005 versions of Pride and Prejudice introduce new generations to the story while reimaginings such as Clueless (1995), Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001), Bride and Prejudice (2004) and The Lizzie Bennet Diaries (2012) bring Austen to the modern day and in new settings around the world. As we approach the 250th birthday of Austen, attention to her works has substantially increased. Many museums and libraries in the UK, the USA, and beyond have had events dedicated to Austen. Crestwood Library will be celebrating Jane Austen’s birthday on Dec. 16, 2025 with a tea party and a talk by literary scholar Stephanie Diehl. She received her PhD in English Literature from Rutgers University, where she specialized in British literature of the “long eighteenth-century”. A lifelong Jane Austen fan, Diehl has been teaching and writing about her favorite author for the past ten years. Currently, she is an Assistant Teaching Professor at Montclair State University. When asked why Austen endures, Diehl said, “I continue to be drawn to Austen’s novels because of their enduring humanity. Austen shows us our flaws and allows us to laugh at ourselves. She makes the small banalities of our lives seem important. Her heroines are independent and inspirational, unafraid to take inventory of their qualities and to make changes when necessary. And finally, as cheesy as it sounds, her novels show us the power that love has to change our lives.”
Come join us at Crestwood Library on December 16 from 5-6 PM for tea, scones, and sweets and learn more about this important author!
You can also join us on Zoom on December 16th at 7:00 PM for a Zoom program in collaboration with the North Castle Public Library for an online discussion with author, producer & Professor, Janet Lewis Saidi and Librarian & Book Blogger, Tabrizia Jones!
You can also join us in person on Friday, December 19th at 2:30 PM at the Will Library for a screening of the Academy Award nominated adaption of Pride & Prejudice (PG) starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen.
Works by Austen:
Austen Reimaginings and Retellings:
Jane of Austin: a novel of sweet tea and sensibility | Westchester Library System
Pride: A Pride & Prejudice Remix | Westchester Library System
The other Bennet sister: a novel | Westchester Library System
Books About Jane Austen and Her World:
Jane Austen at Home: A Biography | Westchester Library System
Jane Austen's Bookshelf: A Rare Book Collector's Quest to Find the Women Writers Who Shaped a Legend
The genius of Jane Austen: her love of theatre and why she works in Hollywood
Wild for Austen : a rebellious, subversive, and untamed Jane
This blog was written by Emily Varker, a Part-Time Junior Clerk at the Crestwood Library. She earned MA in Medieval Studies at Fordham University. She loves reading across a variety of genres, but she especially loves historical fiction and retellings of classic stories.