Austenprose

🎁 It’s Boxing Day in the UK and it’s Commonwealth countries. Here is a new @bbc_culture docummentary by the esteemed historian @lucy_worsley to watch today. 🌟 JANE AUSTEN: BEHIND CLOSED DOORS PROGRAM DESCRIPTION Lucy Worsley explores the homes in which Jane Austen lived and stayed, to discover just how much they shaped Jane’s life and novels.

🎉HUZZAH! Today marks the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth. I am honored to be included among a list of amazing Austen fans who are collaborating on a cyber party in her honor December 16 – 19, 2025 on Instagram. There will be discussion and a chance to win fabulous Austen-inspired books & gift items.

🎉 Happy book birthday to – To Mark the Occassion: Birthday Tales for Jane Austen’s 250th, by Zarilda Belle Frost, Melissa Anne, Christina Boyd, P. O. Dixon, Cathleen Earle, Harry Frost, Susan Kaye, Melanie Rachel, Denise Stout, Bethany R Tolson, foreword by Caroline Jane Knight, published today by VVS Arts. The perfect read for Jane Austen’s special birthday. Celebrate 250 years of Jane Austen with a thoughtful collection of birthday tales inspired by her unforgettable characters.

🎉 December 16th, 2025 is a very speical anniversary for Jane Austen. It’s the 250th anniversary of her birth in 1775. ❤️ Please join us on Instagram for a a cyber birthday party December 16th – 19th hosted by @vanessakellyauthor, @kensingtonbooks, @canterburyclassics, @hazel.and.harolds and @austenprose. ▶ There will be several book influencers particiating and a plethera of fabulous giveaway prizes.

From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: Today we are celebrating the release of Austen at Sea, by Natalie Jenner from St. Martin’s Press. Two pairs of siblings, devotees of Jane Austen, find their lives transformed by a visit to England and Sir Francis Austen, her last surviving brother and keeper of a long-suppressed, secret legacy. In Boston, 1865, Charlotte and Henrietta Stevenson, daughters of a Massachusetts Supreme Court Justice, have accomplished as much as women are allowed in those days.

From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: Don’t you love Saturday mornings? I find that it is my favorite time and day of the week—mostly because I can indulge in mostly doing things for myself. Such a luxury. This morning, I made banana muffins and started listening to an audio recording of JANE AUSTEN AT HOME, by Lucy Worsley.

From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: More Jane Austen-inspired movie news! Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy the movie premieres in the US tomorrow, February 13th on the streaming service Peacock Channel, and in theaters on Valentine’s Day, February 14th, 2025. Two-time Academy Award® winner Renée Zellweger returns to the role that established a romantic-comedy heroine for the ages, as Bridget, now a widowed single mother, must juggle work, parenthood and romance.

From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: Jane Austen and period drama fans take heed. Miss Austen, the new 4-part TV drama adapted from Gill Hornby’s eponymous bestselling novel, premiered in the UK last weekend. UK residents can view it on BBC One and their iPlayer. Its US premiere will be on Masterpiece PBS on May 4th. Starring Keeley Hawes as Jane Austen’s sister Cassandra, the series follows her search for private letters that could ruin Jane’s legacy. Rose Leslie and Patsy Ferran also star.

From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: In celebration of the #janeausten250 there will be several new books to honor her sestercentennial. Topping my list of must reads is Wild for Austen, by Devoney Looser releasing in September from St. Martin’s Press.

From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: Today is the official start of the Christmas Season. While we have been seeing retailers advertising seasonal gifts and decorations since July, I am a traditionalist. When I was a child growing up in the US, the season did not start until the day after Thanksgiving. I am sticking with it. In celebration of the season, I am happy to share a curated list of the best new Christmas novels of 2024.