Encounters with Jane Austen: Celebrating 250 Years

by Julia Quinn, Jennie Batchelor (Introduction)

Genres: Nonfiction

256 pages, Paperback

Published November 30, 2025

About the author

#1 New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn loves to dispel the myth that smart women don't read (or write) romance, and and if you watch reruns of the game show The Weakest Link you might just catch her winning the $79,000 jackpot. She displayed a decided lack of knowledge about baseball, country music, and plush toys, but she is proud to say that she aced all things British and literary, answered all of her history and geography questions correctly, and knew that there was a Da Vinci long before there was a code.

A graduate of Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges, Ms. Quinn is one of only sixteen members of Romance Writers of America’s Hall of Fame. Her books have been translated into 32 languages, and she lives with her family in the Pacific Northwest.

The Bridgertons, her popular series of historical romance, is currently in production by Shondaland as a Netflix original series starring Julie Andrews, Phoebe Dynevor, and Rége-Jean Page.

Reviews

[Ilse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Among the Janeites and Austenites

Spotting the display that the library installed at the occasion of the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth and longingly browsing one of the copies of Northanger Abbey, encountering Encounters with Jane Austen: Celebrating 250 Years couldn’t have come at a better time. Consisting of 30 brief pieces (short stories, essays, testimonials, interviews and poems) paying homage to Jane Austen and her legacy, illuminated with illustrations by Hugh Thompson and a dash of quotes from Jane Austen’s novels, this anthology seemed right on cue.

A mostly entertaining and breezy read, likely depending on the reader’s mood and generosity, the variety in size, format, depth and nature of the contributions can as well be experienced as a valid attempt to please to various tastes as rather messy mishmash of uneven quality. Nevertheless, most pages I turned with glee, devouring the entire collection swiftly from cover to cover instead of sticking to my intention to read it piecemeal. Curiosity won me over, also because apart from a few film adaptations, I am mostly unfamiliar with the epiphenomena sparked by Jane Austen and the ‘almost parasocial’ relationship (dixit Ellora Sutton) some devoted readers develop with Jane Austen and the fictional characters she created. However notable contributors "such as Bridgerton author Julia Quinn, actor and writer Talulah Riley, bestselling authors Charlie Lovett and Natalie Jenner" might be, apart from the poet Edna St Vincent Millay, all the contributors were new to me. Only distantly aware of the universe of Janeism with its fan fiction, off-shoots, retellings, reimaginings festivals and worshipping, getting a glimpse of this world of literary fandom was intriguing.







(These cartoons by Tom Gauld (not in the book but published in The Guardian) made me laugh and reminded me of Jennie Batchelor’s introductory observations that "Perhaps all our Austens are different" and that “"We all encounter Austen differently and from the position of where and when we read her. How we read her changes as the world changes around us. And it is perhaps above all this relentless change that keeps us going back to Jane Austen. She knew that every life was a series of events – some planned, many not. She knew that life was messy and that human relationships bear the weight of the world. Who better then, to help us navigate that life than Britain’s best loved novelist?")

Catering to my inner Bluestocking, I enjoyed the essays the most (the introduction by Jennie Batchelor on Austen’s life; the interview on Gillian Dooley’s book on the music in the novels (“She Played and Sang: Jane Austen and Music”); on Kipling’s “The Janeites” (“Kipling’s Tribute to Austen” by Mary Hamer); (“Jane Austen and the Gothic novel”, by Ellen Cheshire); on the evolution of the adaptations and interpretations of Jane Austen onscreen (Jen Francis). On the pieces of fiction that were toying with characters of Austen by putting them in a contemporary context (Elisabeth Bennet in “Charlotte” by Talulah Riley) or in a feminist romp (Georgina Darcy in “Pistols at Dawn” by Julia Miller), or presenting Jane Austen as a fictional character( “The Completion Competition” by Natalie Jenner), or an imaginary interview of Austen, I am not yet sure whether they amused or rather slightly grated me (maybe both), but they had the benefit of tasting a (genre)novelty. Some anecdotes on how reading Jane Austen affected the lives (including the writing) of the contributors made me smile (in “A Slow-Burn Love Story”, Katie Lumsden relates that while working in the Jane Austen Centre in Bath, the staff was allowed to sit and read when the museum was quiet, as long as they read Jane Austen). Apart from Ellora Sutton’s poem “A Zuihitsu on Various Walks” and Stephanie Lytlle’s “The Three of Diamonds’”, the poems left little impression.

Having greatly enjoyed reading Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Lady Susan, Emma and Persuasion in the past, this collection might be a rather mixed bag, but it was also a gratifying reading experience that warmed me to read Mansfield Park and Northanger Abbey soon, and why not, Sanditon.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Aurora Metro Books for giving me the chance to read this digital ARC.
*** ½

[Literary Redhead · Rating 5 out of 5]

This stellar anthology is a must-read for Janeites during the year-wide celebration of Austen's 250th birthday. Professor Jennie Batchelor's lively intro sets the stage, followed by the most spectacular contemporary and classic poems, prose, essays, and interviews by more than 30 writers and artists on how Austen has impacted their lives.

From Katherine Reay's poignant first chapter "My Good Friend, Jane," to Rachel Beswick's "The Jane Austen Festival: The View from Bath," I read straight through to the end, with tears and laughter and cheers and sighs of joy. I marveled at how Jane has changed so many lives, mine included, and plan to buy copies for myself and all of my Janeite friends. Enjoy!

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes nothing else will do, but for everyone to bring their own favorite "dish to pass" in honor the grand event. In this case, what sort of dish would talented authors bring to pass to celebrate 250 years of another talented author, but a writing piece tribute. Cheryl Robson has fused together a golden pot luck variety of writing for Jane Austen-loving readers to sample and relish.

Jennie Batchelor's introduction is a love letter to fandom, to the life of Jane, and to her legacy before livening up readers to what they can expect throughout the rest of the book.

My Good Friend Jane by Katherine Reay,
a tribute essay to how she came to know and love Jane and her works

Charlotte by Talulah Riley
well that was a rather shocking, but well done P&P contemporary sequel short

How to Find a Partner in Oxford by Kimberley Bailey
a modern free-verse poem with slice of life streaming thoughts, a non Austen that resonates moderately well

A Role Model for Women's Solidarity by Emily Midonkawa and Emma Claire Sweeney
a short, but profound essay about the why behind the three people Austen sent a copy of Emma and which of them she chose to dedicate the book

She by Zita Holbourne
a poem to stir one, a call to action and consideration about woman, Jane Austen's words resonate centuries later regarding woman with strength.

Georgiana Darcy- Pistols at Dawn by Julia Miller
An amusing, light P&P sequel short story where Georgiana and Anne learn how to shoot, plan a duel, and become empowered from their adventures.

Discovering Pride in Austen's Time by Caitlin Grills
A thoughtful essay sharing about Austen's sapphic contemporaries finding their own way in such restricted society and how universal Austen's life and tales are for the queer community.

Three of Diamonds by Stephanie Lyttle
Free verse poetry responding to the sight of an Austen quilt.

Mansfield Park essay by Julia Quinn
An essay into the heart of the why Mansfield Park is the least loved, yet is still a masterful novel.

A Zubitsu on Various Walks by Ellora Sutton
A stream of conscious style poem/essay about walking various famous Austen locations and littered with fun easter egg quotes from the novels when walking is mentioned.

First Impressions (extract) by Charles Lovett
Chapter One was a lovely, engaging 'hook' into the rest of the book (which I shall read).

Tom Lefoy Devours a Cotillion by Marcelle Newbold
A quick and lively poem about Tom and Jane's dance.

Kipling's Tribute to Austen by Mary Hamer
An essay about an author's own dismal response to Austen novels, but learned to appreciate them through the lens of Kipling's love of Austen and sharing this in his subsequent piece 'The Janeites'.

Buried Love by Sara Teasdale
A bittersweet poem of a buried love. Not Austen related so far as I can tell, but beautifully written.

Staging Persuasion interview with director Jeff James
A theater director reflects on how he adapted Persuasion, the timeless themes that connected the past with the present, and his insight on Austen's characters and writing style.

Meeting with Jane by April de Angelis
If one could speak with Jane Austen, what would one say? And, what is Jane's response be? An amusing essay.

She Played and Sang: Jane Austen and Music interview with Gillian Dooley and Jennie Batchelor
A fascinating discussion on what music Jane Austen played and enjoyed and if it had significance in her novels.

A Slow-burn Love Story by Katie Lunsden
A lovely essay tribute to how the author came to know and love 'Jane' while working at The Jane Austen Center of Bath, as a Booktuber, and finally as author.

Words That Blink by Esme Gutch
As a nature lover and lover of words, Jane Austen would love this short poem.

Jane Austen and Shelley in the Garden (extract) by Janet Todd
A women's fiction about middle-aged women in post-war period, exploring life and friendship - one is haunted by the ghost of Jane Austen.

Untitled by Karenjit Sandhu
A short poem about the sensations of going out the door.

Sculpting Jane interview with Martin Jennings
Fascinating learning about the new statue of Jane Austen in the close at the Winchester Cathedral and about the sculpting process.

Witch-Wife by Edna St. Vincent Milay
poem about wild and free-spirited lady.

Jane Austen and the Gothic Novel by Ellen Cheshire
An essay such as this would of course lean heavily into Jane Austen's reading habits and her love letter to gothic literature, Northanger Abbey. Interesting background into gothic lit and Jane's connection to it.

Love's Armour by Allyson Joule
a poem describing Love as a heavy hitter.

The Completion Competition by Natalie Jenner
A short story set at Chawton cottage in Jane's last days. She works on her unfinished Sanditon novel, converses with the new footman, and anticipates a visit with her cousin. Poignant and bittersweet.

Austen's Onscreen Evolution by Jen Francis
Would a tribute of this nature be complete without an essay into the vivid film, tv, and YouTube adaptions of Austen's tales? From the culturally diverse to the traditional, all bring folks to Austen.

Shedding Skin by Jurie Jean van de Vyver
a verse that connects life to the solid 'home' of earth- everything leads back to it.

The Jane Austen Festival by Rachel Beswick
A brief essay describing the excitement, the activities, and why the festival remains a growing and popular destination for people from all over the world. Why, indeed!

Austen's World Photographs
A handful of photographs to finish out this lovely, eclectic reading experience.

A rousing good way to celebrate Jane Austen's birthday year from the comforts of one's own armchair. Encounters with familiar names, but many who were not. A stretching of the literary muscles into writing styles and topics that cover the gamut. A truly enriching Encounter with Jane Austen!

I rec'd an eARC via NetGalley read in exchange for an honest review.

A consolidated version of this review will appear at The Quill Ink 10.16.25.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Aurora Metro Books | Supernova Books for my arc in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

"Encounters with Jane Austen" brings together essays, interviews, fiction, and poetry centered around the lasting influence of Austen’s work. Jennie Batchelor’s foreword lays out the shape of Jane’s life and family history while grounding the collection in its historical moment. Across thirty contributors, the volume moves fluidly between mediums and perspectives: essays on modern stage and screen adaptations, creative pieces reimagining Austen’s characters in contemporary settings, and interviews exploring the music woven through her life and fiction, including one with the sculptor commissioned to honor her 250th birthday (I believe the statue is up by the time of this review~).

For me, this is loving proof that Jane's influence is still going strong in 2025. It makes me so happy and honestly I really enjoyed this little collection. I only docked a point mainly because I struggled with some of the fiction in it, but that's just me!

I would recommend this for any Austen lover :)

[Artemisthepinkreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Aurora Metro Books and Netgalley for free electronic ARC. Opinions are my own.

This book is why I love getting ARCs. If published, as an international reader, I might not be able to meet with this book on my own. I am more of a Bronte girl than an Austen girl, so most probably I would not be able to reach the correct content to learn about Encounters with Jane Austen and would miss out some great authors.

This work has stories, essays, poems and interviews about Jane Austen's works, life, adaptation of her works and even her musical life and statues made to honour her legacy. A very interesting collection, which helped me meet lots of wonderful artists that I would like to read more from. Anyone who loves Jane Austen and even the readers like myself that are not truly a fan but respects her contributions to literature will enjoy this book. Thanks again for my ARC copy.

[Laurel Kristick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many thanks to Netgalley and the editor & publisher for the opportunity to read and review this.

This was a collection of essays, short stories and poems celebrating Jane Austen. Like many collections with multiple authors, there were great, okay, and not so good entries. Most of the nonfiction essays and interviews were interesting (I especially enjoyed the interview with Gillian Dooley on the music Jane Austen played and Ellen Cheshire's piece on Gothic literature). The short stories, mostly involving characters from the books or imagery conversations with Jane Austen, could be seen as relevant to this book's concept, but were not really to my taste. For most of the poetry, I couldn't make the connection to Jane Austen.

I think the nonfiction pieces make this well worth reading.

[Cat {Pemberley and Beyond} · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley in return for a review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Jane Austen’s fans are many and varied. As such, there were many established artists who could be counted on to write, speak, or sculpt a tribute of sorts to Austen and her legacy. I was immediately drawn to this anthology when I saw the line-up: established authors like Catherine Reay and Julia Quinn sit alongside sculptor Martin Jennings, whose statue of Austen in Basingstoke remains a pilgrimage site for many fans. Their collective voices promised a fascinating mix of reflections, short stories, essays, and art, all exploring what Austen has meant, and continues to mean, across centuries.

As such, it is unsurprising that this anthology serves.

If you would like to read a deep-dive essay about the Gothic in Jane Austen’s work, or learn more about the music that was the soundtrack to the balls in Jane Austen’s time, then there are essays and interviews discussing these very things. If you want to read about how Jane Austen helped Catherine Reay during an especially dark time in her life, and learn how she was inspired to begin writing the first of her many brilliant novels shaped by Jane Austen’s work, there’s an essay about that. If you want a sucker-punch of a short story showing what a modern-day Charlotte Collins’ life might have become, turn to the tale by Tallulah Riley.

The only bum (teehee) note for me were the poems and story extracts from dead authors/ poets. Whilst they were interesting, I did not feel that they necessarily answered the question of said authors’ interactions with Jane Austen’s work. My knowledge of Jane Austen’s impact on the cultural world is somewhat perfunctory. As such I would really have appreciated a touch more editorial framing in order to clarify the place of these pieces in the anthology.

I adored the way that this anthology didn’t just reflect on her established legacy, but also looks forward. In the closing paragraph of Austen’s Onscreen Evaluation by Jen Francis, she gently probes at the future of Austen adaptations

“Whether it’s a 6-part BBC miniseries that ticks all those British Period Drama boxes or a TikTok musical (not yet — but let’s be honest, entirely possible), Austen’s world continues to hold a mirror to society as it infinitely reflects our world through her eyes — and her pen.”

It’s the perfect note to end this review on: a reminder that Austen’s work, while grounded in Georgian manners, is infinitely elastic. Whether reimagined in television scripts, podcasts, or future social media trends, her wit and emotional acuity remain as relevant as ever.

[The Journey Writer · Rating 5 out of 5]

“We all encounter Austen differently and from the position of where and when we read her. How we read her changes as the world changes around us. And it is perhaps above all this relentless change that keeps us going back to Jane Austen. She knew that every life was a series of events – some planned, many not. She knew that life was messy and that human relationships bear the weight of the world. Who better, then, to help us navigate that life than Britain’s best-loved novelist?”
– Jennie Batchelor, Introduction

Across two and a half centuries, Jane Austen’s legacy continues to resonate through this vibrant collection of essays, fiction, criticism, and poetry. How have encounters with Jane influenced people’s lives?

Katherine Reay read Jane Austen during a critical time in her life and changed her career from businesswoman to novelist. Rudyard Kipling turned to Austen’s works to bring comfort to his family as they grieved the loss of their son during World War I. Katie Lumsden found friendship around the world through a shared love of Austen, writing:

“One of the great joys of being a Jane Austen fan is that there are so many other Jane Austen fans.”

Poets, BookTubers, novelists, sculptors, theatre directors, and screen adaptation critics all share their personal encounters with Austen in this book.

Why is Jane such a universally beloved author?
I especially loved the quote by Jen Francis in Austen’s Onscreen Evolution:

“Though Jane Austen wrote about a very particular world – white, upper-middle-class Regency England – her stories have long since outgrown those narrow lanes. Across continents and cultures, her themes of love, family, class, and societal pressure have proven universal. In fact, the very things that seem most ‘British’ about Austen – the rigid social hierarchy, the silent judgments at dinner parties, the coded language of romance – are easily recognisable in many parts of the world.”

I read this book during my UK trip last week, a few pages each day, and felt so close to Jane. I’ve only read two of her novels so far – am I eligible to call myself a Janeite?

Are you a Janeite?

Book: Encounters with Jane Austen: Celebrating 250 Years
Edited by: Jennie Batchelor (Introduction), Julia Quinn, and others
Publication Date: October 15, 2025
Thank you to Aurora Metro Books @aurora_metro, Supernova Books, and NetGalley for this eARC.

This book review was first published on 14 October 2025 at https://thejourney-writing.com/

[Veerle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Encounters with Jane Austen is, first and foremost, an invitation—to think, to feel, and to write about what Jane Austen means to each of us. The editors have brought together a delightful mixture of fiction, poetry, and non-fiction, interspersed with carefully chosen quotations from Austen herself. This alternation of genres works remarkably well, offering a dynamic reading experience that mirrors the variety and liveliness of Austen’s own world.

Personally, I found myself most drawn to the non-fiction pieces and interviews. They give a sense of intimacy and genuine engagement with Austen’s legacy. Still, it was great fun to read the fictional contributions too, especially from authors such as Natalie Jenner and Janet Todd, whose previous works I’ve admired.

That said, not every fictional experiment succeeds equally. Julia Quinn - writer of Bridgerton - slagging off Fanny Price, for instance, was not quite my cup of tea. No one, it seems, likes Fanny Price—at least that’s what one contributor claims. Well, I do. In fact, I think she’s Austen’s most rock ’n’ roll heroine. She’s supposed to be grateful, obedient, and silent—even when it goes against her very nature—but she persists anyway. I wouldn’t call her punk; she cares far too much for that. Yet she’s a trooper, facing moral and emotional challenges most heroines would crumble under. In mean: how can anyone say Mansfield Park is boring?

That’s why I was genuinely pleased to see Kate Lumsden come out as a fellow Fanny Price admirer—it restores the balance to the book.

Other highlights include Ellora Sutton’s reflections on walking, which beautifully capture the meditative quality of Austen’s landscapes. And I found it amusing—and oddly moving—to realize that, like one of the contributors, I once found Mr. Woodhouse charming, only to see him now as a source of quiet oppression: the cause of his daughter’s loneliness and the mental load she bears far too young.

Encounters with Jane Austen is a lively, heartfelt, and thought-provoking collection. It reminds us that Austen’s heroines—and her readers—are still evolving, still wrestling with what it means to live, think, and persist in a world that too often underestimates them. Jennie Bachelor did a great job. I loved her talk in Bath earlier this year about the The Lady's Magazine and I loved her work again.

[Lilly B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC copy.

This is a collection of essays, prose, and poetry, all about or inspired by Jane Austen and her books. I think there are some good pieces in here, and there are notable highs and lows. I was very pleasantly surprised by the accolades of the many contributors - while I hadn’t heard of a lot of them it was clear from their pieces and their bios that they were all experts in Austen’s work in one way or another (although this doesn’t count the posthumous pieces of course).

I’m undecided on whether or not this feels like a cohesive collection. With such wide ranging contributions it was great to read how varied the inspiration of Austen’s life and works have spread - however it did feel to me personally that there was little in the way of guidance for the direction of these pieces. There were pieces from deceased authors, poetry that did not seem to have a direct connection to Austen, and a couple of contributors spoke of how they didn’t know where to start with what Austen meant to them, which makes me think it was literally just a “how has jane Austen impacted your life and work” for a prompt. I do think the collection could have benefitted from a slightly narrower scope in terms of directly relating to Austen.

I also have to say personally I was not overjoyed to find one of the longest pieces was just a transcription of a live event at a festival discussing Austen, and the frequent references to other events attendees could go to made this piece stick out like a sore thumb to me.

That being said there were some absolutely fantastic pieces that really brought the whole discussion of Austen’s legacy alive for me. In particular the interview about the Austen statue was absolutely fascinating and I loved reading about all the choices that went into the commission such as pose and location. I also really liked that there were more academic-leaning articles in the collection especially the one regarding gothic literature, which was super insightful. Personally I tend to dislike retellings or reimaginings of classics but I LOVED “Charlotte” by Talulah Riley. So well written and compelling!!

I have to say as well it’s a beautiful book in terms of its illustrations and photos included.

I think any Austen fan would love to have this book in their collection!

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This diverse collection of essays, fiction, criticism, and poetry shows the wide ranging impact of Jane Austen over 250 years.

Austen readers who are always looking for new stories will enjoy the fiction contributions. Julia Miller imagines Georgiana Darcy’s revenge in “Pistols at Dawn”. In “Charlotte”, Talulah Riley imagines Lizzie Bennet visiting her old friend who begins the story with “no female friendship exists without an element of rivalry.” Natalie Jenner’s “The Completion Competition” is set at Chawton Cottage in 1817, when an ailing Jane was writing Sanditon, watching the world pass by her window.

Hers had been a life, in fact, full of beginnings–new homes, new potential suitors to meet, new books to write. But the climax had never come, after all. For that, she had to write her books. from The Completion Competition by Natalie Jenner

Other contributions offer insight into Austen’s work and life. I particularly enjoyed “Jane Austen and the Gothic Novel” by Ellen Cheshire; “She Played and Sang: Jane Austen and Music”, an interview with Gillian Dooley and Jennie Batchelor; and “Mansfield Park” by Julia Quinn.

Katherine Reay, whose fiction is inspired by Austen, writes about “My Good Friend Jane.” April de Angelis imagines a “Meeting with Jane,” interviewing Jane, who only raises an eyebrow and “sits, inscrutable.”

The collection includes contributions by authors I have read, including Natalie Jenner who wrote The Jane Austen Society and Jane at Sea; Janet Todd who wrote the memoir Living with Austen; Emily Midorikawa and Emma Claire Sweeney who wrote A Secret Sisterhood; and Jennie Batchelor, author of Jane Austen Embroidery, who wrote the Introduction.

Between the chapters there are wonderful illustrations by Hugh Thompson, Austen quotations, portraits of Jane, and poems including poetry by Sara Teasdale and Edna St. Vincent Millay.

There is something for every Austenite.

As Jennie Batchelor notes in the Introduction, “We all encounter Austen differently from the position of where and when we read her. How we read her changes as the world changes around us. And it is perhaps above all this relentless change that keeps us going back to Jane Austen.”

Thanks to the publisher for a free book through NetGalley.

[A Mac · Rating 3 out of 5]

This work is a collection of short stories, poetry, essays, and interviews that are related (some more closely than others) to Jane Austen. The introduction of the work presents the context for her novels and writings, and a short biography of Austen. There are quotes and sketches of scenes from her books included between the entries throughout the book.

Overall, the entries for this collection were just average for me. I only had one entry that I rated 5-stars, and three entries that made it into the 4-star range. This is partially because there were many entries that were poetry, which is generally not a writing structure I prefer. There were also several entries that felt barely adjacent to Jane Austen or were essays about someone’s feelings towards Austen that didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

My favorite entry was titled “She Played and Sang: Jane Austen and Music” an interview with Gillian Dooley and Jennie Batchelor. This entry was about the times music is mentioned in Austen’s writings and its significance, as well as the role that music would have played in her life. It was highly informative and provided a lot of interesting things to think about and to contextualize her works.

Two honorable mentions were the entries “Charlotte” by Talulah Riley and “Discovering Pride in Austen’s Time” by Caitlin Grills. If you’re interested in a collection of works celebrating Jane Austen, you may enjoy this book. My thanks to NetGalley and Aurora Metro Books for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

[Emily Pankhurst · Rating 5 out of 5]

Netgalley Review

From it's fairly unassuming cover, I wasn't sure what to expect. What I did find was lots of different media all expressing their passion for the author. It was a delight to read.

I enjoyed reading about the different aspects to Jane Austen's life that the authors had chosen. It felt very well rounded and made me want to research further into what the individual authors had found.

It was fascinating to read the quotes from her books, the interviews with people who had produced plays, made a sculpture, written poems and written books, and to read extracts from novels, all with their origins coming from Jane Austen and her life.

There weren't chapters as such, it was just the different media sitting side by side.

There was a slight pattern throughout the book; a quote from one of Jane Austen's books, a sketch illustration with another quote from Jane Austen's books underneath and then some form of media in the shape of either a poem, interview or book extract.

There was a good flow between the different media and I was kept engaged throughout. I read it in a couple of sittings which is rare for me.

Instead of feeling 'bitty' it all came together rather well and made the book feel whole. I felt that we had looked at a large range of things to do with Jane Austen, things that I hadn't considered or known about.

Overall I thought that it was a fascinating read and I highly recommend it.

[Beth SHULAM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Encounters with Jane Austen: Celebrating 250 Years is a wonderfully diverse tribute—part essay collection, part poetry portfolio, part short-story gathering—assembled as a celebration of Austen’s enduring pull on readers and writers across generations. What I appreciated most is the range: scholars bring insight, popular authors bring warmth and immediacy, and poets bring that distilled, lyrical reverence that feels like an extended love letter to Jane. It’s the kind of anthology you can dip into slowly, savoring the different voices and angles, and it genuinely captures how Austen continues to live in the imaginations of people who write for a living.

Across the offerings, you get a sense of Austen as both literary ancestor and personal companion—someone who still shapes how we think about wit, character, marriage markets, moral formation, and social comedy. My standout favorite was Natalie Jenner’s short story (she has a gift for narrative intimacy and emotional payoff), and her contribution felt like the most satisfying “complete” experience in the book—smart, charming, and memorable. Overall, this anthology feels like a celebratory table set with many small courses: you won’t love every bite equally, but the spread is generous, inviting, and absolutely worth the time for Austen devotees.

[Annette Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Encounters with Jane Austen is a fascinating mixture of essays, interviews, fiction and poetry , all with the theme or inspiration of Jane Austen. The detailed foreword by Jennie Batchelor gives an overview of Jane's life and family as well as giving some historical context and there are thirty contributors whose work is included making for an eclectic mix of topics and styles. From essays on topics like modern adaptations for stage and screen to fiction that transplants some of Jane's most beloved characters to the modern day, interviews that look at the role of music in Jane's life and how it is used in her books and even an interview with the sculptor who has been commissioned to create a statue of Jane to commemorate the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of her birth. The various texts are broken up by beautiful illustrations in a simple style that is very fitting but still eye catching and helped with the flow of such diverse contributions by adding a touch of cohesion.
This book is truly a celebration of a much beloved author whose impact belies her short life and proves that good stories continue to live long after their author is no longer with us.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really interesting collection for anyone who loves Austen's work. It's both a fascinating exploration of what makes her so beloved as an author, but also why her novels, written more than 200 years ago, remain relevant and popular with readers of all ages to this day.

From the classic film adaptations to modern takes like 'Clueless', a reimagining of 'Emma', Jane Austen continues to be part of pop culture, appealing to a wide range of audiences for a great number of reasons. What makes this anthology especially engaging is the variety of voices it includes. Collecting art, interviews, essays, and poems from different writers and artists, each reflecting on their interpretation of Austen’s work and how it has inspired them. This book offers an intriguing way to revisit her novels, and perhaps even to approach them from a new angle, understanding a little better what makes them timeless.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I received a free ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review*

As with all collections such as this, some of the entries were really interesting and others I did not really connect with. Other than mentions of Jane Austen there was not really a common theme through the collection. Some are authors talking about their own connection to Jane Austen's work, some are short stories based on Austen characters, some are essays about Austen and/or her work, and some are poems (as someone who never really "got" poetry these were the weakest parts of the book and I usually did not see the connection to anything Jane Austen). I think my big disappointment here was that I did not come away feeling as though I was part of a collective fandom and instead felt as though my enjoyment was not deep or "literary" enough.

[booksbydorothea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommend

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This anthology is a love letter to Jane Austen! It contains essays, poems, and so much more. Although it is geared to true Janeites, I enjoyed it as a movie Janeite.

It is a lovely book, from the writings, poems, and artwork to the beautiful cover and well-curated material.

Jane would be so touched and overwhelmed to have her 250th birthday celebrated this way!!

If you love, really love Jane, this is the book for YOU!!

For a more detailed review, check out my blog - booksbydorothea: https://tinyurl.com/vu3b3k4m

[Nicole Perkins · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of Encounters with Jane Austen! (All opinions expressed are my own.) Let me begin with blasphemy: I am not a Jane Austen fan. (Please don't come after me with tar and feathers and pitchforks.) I prefer the gloomy moodiness of the Bronte sisters. That being said, I recognize her talent and the value of her work-after all, she remains popular 250 years after her death, and book and film adaptations are constantly being made. I requested this book to see what others had to say about what her work meant to them. The essays and interviews were very well-written and gave me an understanding about why people love Austen's work so much. The fiction included in the book inspired by Austen's work didn't appeal to me, much as Austen's doesn't. However, I deeply love Persuasion; it is one of my all-time favorite books. So while I gave this book a relatively low rating, it was not for the quality of the book, but for my low interest in the subject matter itself. Austen fans (my sister is one, and I recommended this book to her) will greatly enjoy it.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really lovely tribute to Jane Austen to celebrate 250 years since her birth. There is a great range of writing, including poetry, short stories and articles, by some incredibly talented people. I particularly enjoyed Katie Lumsden’s discussion of what Jane means to her. I also loved Ellen Cheshire’s thoughts on the gothic elements across Austen’s novels. And Natalie Jenner’s moving reimagining of Jane in her final days, writing Sanditon, was beautifully written and very special. A fascinating anthology.

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZNRBQqKjX/