Jane Austen Finale w/ Helena Kelly & Jessica Bull - Hatchards, Piccadilly

In celebration of the 250th birthday of Jane Austen, a dedicated group of readers have been re-reading her novels during the past year here at Hatchards. As a celebration of their achievement, and of Austen herself, we are very excited to announce this grand finale event.

We hope you can join us for a wonderful discussion about all things Austen with Helena Kelly, author of Jane Austen: The Secret Radical and most recently, The Worlds of Jane Austen: The Influences & Inspriation Behind the Novels. She will be joined by Jessica Bull, author of The Austen Christmas Murders and the Miss Austen Investigates series.

About the books

The Worlds of Jane Austen invites readers to see one of Britain’s most beloved authors in a completely new light. Far from the quiet world of country houses and tea parties, Austen lived through revolution, war and major social change, and her sharp, observant fiction reveals just how engaged she was with the issues of her time.

This lively and accessible guide explores the people, politics and places that shaped Austen’s life and work. It features expert insight from bestselling author Helena Kelly alongside over 150 photographs, artworks and illustrations that bring her world vividly to life.

Whether you are discovering Austen for the first time or returning to her novels with fresh eyes, The Worlds of Jane Austen is the perfect companion for curious readers, literature lovers and admirers of classic storytelling.

The Austen Christmas Murders begins as the festive season is fast approaching. Jane Austen fears that without her siblings at home, there won’t be much Christmas cheer in the Austen household this year. But when she uncovers a skeleton in the cellar of Deane Rectory, Jane soon forgets her woes. Who needs merriment, when there’s a mystery to solve? Her investigation leads her to the legend of a young bride who’s long been thought to haunt the woods nearby. After fleeing her wedding breakfast, the bride was never seen again. Has Jane found her at last? Or is there more to this mystery than meets the eye?

Tis the season for Jane to embark upon festive delights, making merry, and solving murders…

About the Authors

Helena Kelly

Helena Kelly holds a doctorate in English Literature from Oxford University, where she has also taught and is about to return for a visiting scholarship at the Oxford Centre for Life Writing at Wolfson College. She is the author of The Secret Life of Charles Dickens and of Jane Austen, the Secret Radical.

Jessica Bull

Jessica Bull grew up in South East London, where she still lives. She studied English Literature at Bristol University, and Information Science at City University, London. Her debut novel, Miss Austen Investigates, has sold in eighteen territories and counting. A Fortune Most Fatal is the highly-anticipated second book in the series.

We hope you can join us for this celebration of Austen!