Jane Austen (1775-1817)
One of the world's most famous and prolific women authors, Jane Austen was born in Hampshire, England. Austen remains a dearly loved novelist, thanks to her social commentary on the British gentry at the time. She extensively wrote about women and their dependence on men, the said and unsaid rules of patriarchy, and what they had to do in order to either gain or retain their social standing. Crafted with classic humour, wit, and sarcasm, Austen's writing transcends the barriers of age and time.
Jane Austen started writing at a young age for the amusement of those around her, as gifts for loved ones - and, interestingly, as a way of catharsis. Given that the society at the time viewed women in restricted social roles - as merely mothers and wives - Austen published her books anonymously. The truth was only made public by her brother, Henry, after her death in 1817.
Of her published novels - some of which include Sense and Sensibility, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey - Pride and Prejudice remains one of the best-loved works among readers to this day. She also wrote an adapted play, titled Sir Charles Grandison, and a satire called Plan of a Novel in addition to multiple poems, letters, and prayers during her lifetime.
