This autumn brings an exciting new addition to the world of Jane Austen-inspired fiction. On Michaelmas, 29 September 2025, J.B. Grantham will publish Becoming Mrs. Darcy: Elizabeth’s Chronicles (Volume I) — the first installment in a thoughtful and heartfelt sequel to Pride and Prejudice. To mark the occasion, we are delighted to share an interview, in which she discusses the inspirations behind her new book, the challenges of writing in Austen’s voice and what readers can expect from Mrs. Darcy’s story.
Interview
On the Release of Becoming Mrs. Darcy: Elizabeth’s Chronicles (Volume I): 29 September 2025
Julia, congratulations on the publication of your new book Becoming Mrs. Darcy. Can you tell us what inspired you to write a sequel to Pride and Prejudice?
Thank you! It will not surprise anyone that Pride and Prejudice is my favourite of Austen’s novels and, like many readers, I always feel a little sad when it ends. I simply want the characters to remain in my life. That is how, many years ago, I began my first Elizabeth Bennet page on Facebook, following her life day by day, two hundred years later. It was easy to calculate: her married life began in 1813, and I launched the page in 2013. Since then, Elizabeth and Darcy have lived in my imagination, even after that first page was lost in the mysterious, bottomless vortex of the internet. After passing through all the stages of grief over that loss, I eventually resurfaced and resolved to begin again – this time in a more literary form, with the hope of one day publishing Elizabeth’s story as a book.
Why did you choose the diary form rather than a conventional narrative?
In a curious way, the choice was made for me, given the story of its conception as the Facebook page I was writing from Elizabeth’s point of view. When I first began that page, it was in Elizabeth’s own voice, and I discovered that it came quite naturally – I “felt” her. It suited my purpose perfectly, for I wished to give Elizabeth her own voice as she stepped into married life: first in the intimate form of a diary, and now, in the book, as a reflective reminiscence, looking back upon those early years from a later vantage point.
Elizabeth’s perspective allows readers to experience her world directly, with her lively intelligence and candid reflections. It creates an immediacy – as though she were confiding in us, sharing her joys, doubts, and discoveries in real time. Yet this form brings challenges too. Elizabeth, though almost universally loved and admired, is not without flaws – nor did I wish to portray her as flawless. We remember her mistakes in the original novel, and some of these return to trouble her in married life.
Through this close access to her mind, we also glimpse her doubts, fears, and griefs – things she would never show openly, and which would be lost in a third-person account – yet which she must wrestle with, as we all do. I felt compelled to portray these struggles. They make Elizabeth human: a real young woman, still vulnerable within, however strong she may appear without.
How did you decide which real historical figures to weave into Elizabeth’s world, and what was it like bringing them to life alongside Austen’s characters?
In the first volume, the two principal historical figures I introduce are the Duke of Devonshire and his elder sister, Lady Morpeth. The choice came quite naturally. Jane Austen explicitly places Mr. Darcy’s estate, Pemberley, in Derbyshire, and another distinguished estate – indeed the most renowned in the county – is Chatsworth, the ancestral seat of the Dukes of Devonshire. It seemed fitting that the Darcys and the Cavendishes should be neighbours: not in the sense of meeting casually in the street, of course, but as fellow owners of the two greatest estates in Derbyshire.
Once I began researching their birthdays and family history, the idea made more and more sense. Even the detail that Mr. Darcy’s sister is called Georgiana echoed real life, where the celebrated Duchess of Devonshire bore the same name. In my narrative, she becomes Georgiana Darcy’s godmother. There are other parallels, too, which will unfold as the story progresses.
Looking ahead, I plan to introduce several more historical figures in the subsequent volumes, each of whom will exert a powerful influence on the narrative.
About the Book
Julia B. Grantham enriches Austen’s fictional world with historical realism, weaving in figures such as the Duke of Devonshire and Lady Morpeth, and drawing fascinating parallels with the society of the time. Volume I is only the beginning, with more historical encounters and personal developments to come in future installments.
About the Author
Alongside her Austen-inspired works, Julia is also the creator of the bestselling children’s books A Mole Like No Other and Moley and the Mysterious Sea Turtles, both warmly received by readers and the press. She proudly serves as an Ambassador for the Jane Austen Literacy Foundation, founded by Austen’s great-niece Caroline Jane Knight, reflecting her dedication to literacy and education.
With Becoming Mrs. Darcy: Elizabeth’s Chronicles, Julia opens a new chapter for one of literature’s most beloved heroines, blending fidelity to Austen’s spirit with her own imaginative storytelling.
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