Jane Austen

Jane Austen was an English novelist whose works of romantic fiction have earned her a place as one of the most widely read and beloved writers in English literature. Born in Steventon, Hampshire in 1775, she completed six major novels that critique the British landed gentry through biting social commentary disguised as marriage plots. Austen's ironic wit, psychological insight, and masterful dialogue were ahead of her time and continue to feel remarkably modern. Her novels have been continuously in print since the 19th century and have inspired countless adaptations. She died in 1817 at age 41.