Sense and Sensibility - 200 Year Anniversary

2011 will see the 200th anniversary of the publication of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility. Thomas Egerton of the Military Library publishing house in London accepted the manuscript for publication, in three volumes. Jane paid for the book to be published and paid the publisher a commission on sales. The cost of the project represented more than one third of the Austen's annual household income of £460 which is about £16,000 in today's money! The first edition of 760 copies sold out by July 1813, which was remarable for those days, and it made Jane a profit of £140 approximately £5,000.  A second edition was advertised in October 1813, and the book has never been out of print since then.

The Jane Austen's House Museum own one of those rare 750 first editions and, together with Trail Publishing, will celebrate the event by publishing a limited boxed edition of 500 faithful copies of the book, complete with a certificate of authenticity. The book will faithfully recreate the look and feel of the original, as in the Georgian era, all books were published with just a plain canvas cover and then the owners would have them bound in finely tooled leather to match the style of their libraries, or to emulate the latest fashion; style was everything to the Georgians.

Jane wrote the first draft of Elinor and Marianne (later retitled Sense & Sensibility) sometime around 1795 when she was about 19 years old. She had written a great deal of short fiction whilst in her teens, but Elinor and Marianne was her first full-length novel. The plot revolves around the contrast between the two sisters; Elinor's sensible approach to life and Marianne's emotional character. The novel displays Jane's subtle irony at its best, with many outstanding comic passages.

This outstanding Limited Edition is going to be one for the collectors of all things Jane!

Jane Austen's Hampshire

As I mentioned in my last blog on Jane Austen, I have just completed the latest in our series on Jane Austen and her life and times. I make no pretence that these books are academic works of referenc, they are more for the casual visitor to Jane Austen's life and times. Whilst the style, I hope, is light and friendly, I have had to ensure that all the facts and dates that are quoted are correct and well researched. If it's an indepth analysis of her work you are looking for, then there are many worthy authors out there who have dedicated years to the subject.
'Jane Austen's Hampshire' is an insight into the county that she loved, where she made her home and found inspiration for many of her famous literary classics. Jane always declared that she was 'Proud to be a Hampshire born Austen'. Hampshire is a unique county of rolling green hills, tranquil chocolate box villages and ancient forests, combined with vibrant cities and bustling market towns. A rich cultural heritage, varied coastline and unspoilt countryside makes Hampshire an ideal short break destination.
During my research I was amazed to discover just how far her popularity has spread; as the Quintessential English author, her work is used by many universities throughout the world as required reading for degree courses in English literature. Spend a few hours at the Jane Austen's House Museum in Chawton and you will hear more languages than the United Nations. Groups of visitors from as far afield as Latvia, Russia, Sweden and more recently China, all of them there to broaden their understanding of this amazing English writer.

The Home of Jane Austen

As a freelance writer of non-fiction I've been asked to cover many subjects and topics, and on the whole I have been lucky in as much as the projects have mostly been about subjects I was familiar with, or had a keen interest in. But, when a publisher friend of mine approached me to write a short souvenir book to clebrate the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen and her family moving into a house in Chawton, Hampshire, I must confess that I was at first tempted to decline; that is until I started to do some research. Looking into the life and times of this amazing writer was not only interesting, it quickly became addictive. I'm one of those annoying people who collect facts and seemingly useless information about all kinds of things, events and people and trot them out at parties and other social gatherings! (I know, it even irritates me, but what can I do! ) Very quickly I found a rich and varied vein of information to mine about the life and work of a young spinster who had an amazing talent for observastion and social comment and the ability to work it all into a seamless narrative. Needless to say I accepted the commission and thoroughly enjoyed the whole project. I especially owe a debt of gratitude to Ann Channon, an amazing lady with a wicked sense of humour and an in-depth knowledge of Jane Austen and her family. Which comes in handy as she is the House Manager at the Jane Austen House Museum in Chawton.

Since starting on this journey through the world of the writer who set the gold standard for the modern English novel, I have become fascinated with her stories and characters. So, the next project is 'Jane Austen's Hampshire' an exploration of the county where she spent most of her life, and an insight into the social structure of Regency England.