Jane Austen 250

From September, we’re joining in with the global celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the birth of Jane Austen, whose novels like Pride and Prejudice have brought rural English scenes to readers around the globe.

Visitors can explore an original letter by Austen to her sister Cassandra, one of just 160 letters to survive her death. Learn about Austen’s links to rural England through a special Austen-themed trail and try your hand at historic skills from Austen’s era in a series of special workshops (announced later in 2025).

Learn more about Jane Austen 250 celebrations throughout Reading and at Reading Museum, including the Reading schoolroom that Austen studied in as a child.