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.