Jane Austen: Writer in the World

Written to commemorate two hundred years since the death of Jane Austen in 1817, Jane Austen: writer in the world edited by Kathryn Sutherland, discusses the status of Jane Austen's writing during that time. The book consists of a series of chapters by different writers who evaluate aspects of Jane Austen's life and work based on artifacts held in special collections and museums.

The first section concerns life in Georgian England and has chapters discussing Jane Austen's early, unpublished work, the importance of music in Georgian society, costume - including a pelisse-coat once owned by Jane Austen, plus the art of letter writing and the importance of correspondence in telling Jane's story. Section two, the Novelist in the World, has chapters on women writing during the time of war (particularly the Napoleonic wars), how Jane Austen wrote her books and a study of novels in 1817. Jane Austen Imagined investigates the few possible portraits of Jane Austen while the last chapter looks at the significance of Jane Austen's legacy after two hundred years, not just in England but throughout the world.

Jane Austen: writer in the world provides interesting background material for those interested in the novels of Jane Austen and life in Regency England. Each chapter contains photographs and illustrations of objects and artwork relating to the content. There area detailed notes for each chapter plus a list of other relevant books and an index.