Volume the First is a collection of Jane Austen's writings between 12 and 18. Which Jane Austen? presented a rich selection of Austen material, from manuscripts to letters, books to artefacts, diaries to reviews, most of which prompt us to re-evaluate what we know about her. This year, the British TV historian Lucy Worsley's Jane Austen at Home gave the reader access to the author's world through a tour of her houses, while Helena Kelly's literary history Jane Austen, the Secret Radical argued that beneath the soft-focus surface of Austen's comedies of manners lurk harsh realities and sinister subtexts.Ī major summer exhibition at Oxford University's Bodleian Libraries took an equally fresh approach. A forthcoming TV adaptation of Pride and Prejudice promises to bring out the novel's 'darker tones'. Last year saw the release of Love & Friendship, a film version of the short, early, lesser work Lady Susan, starring Kate Beckinsale and Chloe Sevigny. However, the recent critical and creative trend seems to be to approach Austen from a different angle or tap into unexplored territory. Over the past couple of decades we have witnessed a number of glossy big- and small-screen adaptations, along with various spoofs, spin-offs or reimagined updates by contemporary authors. 'Every moment has its pleasures and its hope,' Austen writes in Mansfield Park.

Her six imperishable novels continue to enchant and delight legions of new admirers and faithful followers. She remains a publishing phenomenon, a cultural icon, a literary lodestar. Two hundred years on from her death and Jane Austen's immense popularity shows no sign of waning.

Jane austen radical