#Jane Austen

#Jane Austen

Founded in 1884, it is one of the world's most important societies devoted to books. Though it operates as a members-only institution, the club maintains a steady program of free, public exhibitions that draw from its members' collections. Though often historical, there are fascinating intersections with contemporary culture. Focused on rare books, manuscripts, and literary ephemera, these shows often illuminate how historical texts continue to shape the present.

I was born in the wrong century or so my mother says, while I protest from my writing bureau, wax seal in hand, ready to dispatch an Austen-style letter to a friend. But as I put out the candle flame with my antique snuffer, I wonder if she might be right. For me, the past has always felt like home I grew up on a literary diet of classic fiction, seasoned with a love of my Regency hero, Jane Austen.

A cross-cultural, British-and-Bollywood-meets-Hollywood take on Austen's most famous novel, the film is pure joy a riot of original musical numbers, colourful costumes, chaos, culture clashes and, of course, romance. You may think it wouldn't work, but it does. Released after the huge success of Bend It Like Beckham, Chadha spent two years filming Bride &Prejudice across three continents. It's a homage to the Bollywood films she grew up watching with a modern, western twist a cinematic expression of her hybrid identity.

Alexander Pope's satire warns against seeking virtue at the royal court, suggesting that one must be wary of the moral character of advisers.

Keeley Hawes expressed her excitement about joining the Jane Austen world with her role in Miss Austen, a series about Jane's sister Cassandra.

The Four Seasons, a comedy series starring Tina Fey and Steve Carell, tests a decades-long friendship among couples when one couple divorces, complicating their getaways.