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Today, on the very day of
its release—25th September 2025—we are delighted to celebrate Dr Helena Kelly’s
new book, The Worlds of Jane Austen (Frances Lincoln). Published to
coincide with the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth, this fascinating
work invites readers to step beyond the familiar image of drawing rooms and tea
parties, and instead discover the turbulent world of revolution, war, and
social change that shaped Austen’s life and writing.
Helena Kelly, already well
known to Austen readers for her groundbreaking Jane Austen, the Secret
Radical, brings her characteristic insight and lively style to this
beautifully illustrated volume. Drawing on the latest research, she shows us an
Austen who is sharper, bolder, and more engaged with the great issues of her
time than many have imagined—an author whose voice still resonates powerfully
today.
We had the pleasure of speaking with Helena about her new book, Austen’s enduring relevance, and the surprising connections between the novelist’s world and our own.
