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As the nation marks the 250th anniversary of her birth, experts from the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Worcester will explore our fascination with the author Jane Austen in a free event next month.

The discussion, titled ‘Why are we obsessed with Jane Austen?’ will take place at The Hive on December 3 at 6.30pm.

Whether you're a lifelong Jane Austen fan or just curious about why her stories still resonate today, this free event is for you. Join a lively discussion with ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Worcester literature experts as they explore what makes Austen’s novels so enduring.

Expect fresh insights, engaging conversation, and a chance to see the novels in a new light.

ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ experts featured on the panel are Dr Sharon Young, Senior Lecturer in English Literature, Nicoleta CinpoeÅŸ, Professor of Shakespeare Studies, and Dr Whitney Standlee, a former Senior Lecturer in English Literature at the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ.

“I think we do recognise her as a great writer, but it’s nice to celebrate that,” said Dr Young, who specialises in 18th century literature. “It’s an opportunity to remember frankly how great she was and how much she transformed our understanding of the novel, technically but also thematically.”

She added: “Her work feels like the first modern novel, as opposed to the 18^th century novels that go before. I think modern readers find it accessible and I think the stories and issues resonate, but I think she writes in a way that has a light touch. She’s incredibly skilled at writing in a way that’s very simple but that’s very sophisticated, and that’s a difficult thing to pull off.”

Austen’s popularity has soared in recent years, thanks to a wave of screen and stage adaptations, from traditional Regency dramas to bold reinterpretations set in modern-day India or 1990s America. Alongside this, public interest has grown through festivals, museums, and fan societies, keeping her work firmly in the cultural spotlight.

Dr Young said: “I hope our panel discussion will inspire people who come to have a renewed interest to go back to the texts and any they haven’t read, but also perhaps to think about them in a slightly more complex way.”

She continued: “They’re very sophisticated texts. There’s more to them than balls and marriages. They are surprisingly satirical and give us a living picture of that period. They stand on their own as stories about courtship and marriage, but I think there are depths to that. We’ll be exploring some of these themes and more in our discussion.”

Dr Young added: “I would like people to come away with something to think about that they haven’t thought about before. Often we think of the heroes and heroines, but the novels have got a cast of amazing complex characters. We don’t think about the male characters enough perhaps. Her villains are also interesting because they’re not comic book villains and can lurk in surprising places.”

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