Charles Dickens had his day and now Jane Austen with the 200th anniversary of Pride and Prejudice.

Pride and Prejudice was first published in 1813 and has never been out of print since 1832  when its copyright was sold to another publisher.  Poor Jane Austen had signed away the rights for a paltry sum and never profited from one of her most successful stories.

Celebrations for followers (Janeites) and those who may have only seen the movie(s) are being held on both sides of the ocean, and one close to my old hometown.  Goucher College in Maryland owns the American archive of Jane Austen’s works that include first editions, letters, documents, pictures and drawings – even a lock of hair.  If you are in the area, stop by for some tea or champagne.

Goucher professor and Austen scholar Juliette Wells has a new book about Jane Austen – Everybody’s Jane: Austen in the Popular Imagination.