About Wild About Jane Austen: The Woman Behind the Novels
We know Austen’s novels, but how well do we know their author? Presented for generations as a quiet spinster, this session introduces Jane Austen the ambitious writer, with insights into her relationship to the abolitionist movement and women's suffrage. In celebration of Austen’s 250th anniversary, this evening brings together bold new interpretations and studies of her work in a questioning light, asking – who was Austen, what did she care about and what does her work mean to us in 2025?
Professor Devoney Looser’s new work Wild for Austen is praised by Lucy Worsley, (author of Jane Austen at Home) who says 'I'm wild about Devoney Looser. No one else wears such deep Austen scholarship so lightly. A brilliant book!' Celebrated cartoonist Kate Evans’ eighth work of graphic non-fiction is Patchwork: A Graphic Biography of Jane Austen. They will be in conversation with writer and Wollstonecraft expert Bee Rowlatt, who is one of the lead presenters on the BBC’s recent docuseries Austen: Rise of a Genius.
This energetic panel will also be joined by a star of the screen, bringing Austen’s own words to life – from both her exquisite novels and her salty letters – and will be introduced by the British Library’s Curator of Modern Archives and Manuscripts, Catherine Angerson.
Your support
The British Library is a charity. Your support helps us open up a world of knowledge and inspiration for everyone. Please consider adding a donation to your basket.
Venue and bar opening times
This event will take place in the British Library Knowledge Centre and is also available to watch online. Tickets may be booked to attend in person, or to watch online.
If you are attending in person, please note that the Knowledge Centre and the bar will be open from 18.00.
Please arrive no later than 15 minutes before the start time of this event. If you have specific access requirements please email customer@bl.uk
Attending the event online
If you book an online ticket, you will receive the viewing link on the morning of the event. You can either watch the event live or during the next 7 days on catch up.
Concessions
There are a range of concessions available. These include discounts for British Library Members, Young Persons (16–25s), and visitors on Universal/Pension Credit and free entry for carers.
Devoney Looser
Devoney Looser is the Regents Professor of English at Arizona State University and the author of several books.
More
Her books include Sister Novelists: The Trailblazing Porter Sisters, Who Paved the Way for Austen and the Brontës and The Making of Jane Austen (2017).
A Guggenheim Fellow and an NEH Public Scholar, Looser has published essays in The Atlantic, New York Times, Salon, Slate, and The Washington Post. She is a life member of the Jane Austen Society of North America and played roller derby under the name Stone Cold Jane Austen.
Kate Evans
Kate Evans is a celebrated cartoonist, illustrator and public speaker with 30 years’ experience.
More
Her previous books include the highly-acclaimed Red Rosa and the Orwell Prize–longlisted Threads. Patchwork: A Graphic Biography of Jane Austen is her eighth work of graphic non-fiction. It is already hailed as a major new work of graphic biography for its ability to marry drama, comedy, and historically immersive detail, bringing Austen’s story to life with fluid, dynamic artwork – at times embroidered onto cloth itself.
Bee Rowlatt
Bee Rowlatt is a writer, British Library events producer, and chair of the Wollstonecraft Society.
More
One of the lead presenters on the BBC docuseries, Austen: Rise of a Genius, she also co-wrote the best-seller Talking about Jane Austen in Baghdad, which was dramatised by the BBC. Her Wollstonecraft-inspired travelogue In Search of Mary was a ‘biography of the year’ (Independent, 2015) and her novel One Woman Crime Wave (Renard, 2024) is described by crime queen Liz Nugent as 'beautifully written and very moving'.
You might also like
Ice: An Evening with Jacek Dukaj
Join author Jacek Dukaj as he discusses his novel Ice, a Trans-Siberian odyssey into an endless winter to confront something utterly alien.
RSL presents: The Pioneer Prize
Bernardine Evaristo and guests celebrate the life and work of Maureen Duffy.
An Evening with Andrzej Sapkowski
In conversation with the bestselling author of The Witcher.