Jane Austen

Jane Austen (1775–1817) was an English novelist known for her sharp social observation and enduring portrayals of courtship, class, and family life in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Born in Steventon, Hampshire, she was the daughter of a clergyman and grew up in a lively, bookish household. Austen published her novels anonymously during her lifetime. Her major works include *Sense and Sensibility* (1811), *Pride and Prejudice* (1813), *Mansfield Park* (1814), *Emma* (1815), and *Persuasion* (published posthumously in 1817). She died in Winchester and was buried in Winchester Cathedral.