Jane Odiwe Jane Austen Sequels

As it's Easter and we are celebrating two hundred years of Sense and Sensibility this year, I'd like to offer a signed copy of Willoughby's Return. Please leave a comment below telling me who your favourite character is from Sense and Sensibility. The offer will be open until May 1st, 2011, and is open to everyone! Jane Austen wrote the following letter to her sister Cassandra when she was staying with her brother in London. She was there to edit Sense and Sensibility, and she tells her sister how she is getting on with the process of corrections. It seems the weather was hot - we're also enjoying a spell of fine weather here in England. Happy Easter! I hope you all have a lovely holiday! Sloane St: Thursday (April 25). MY DEAREST CASSANDRA, I can return the compliment by thanking you for the unexpected pleasure of  your  letter yesterday, and as I like unexpected pleasure, it made me very happy; and, indeed, you need not apologise for your letter in any respect, ...

In April, 200 years ago in 1811 on this day, Jane Austen was writing to her sister Cassandra. Jane was staying in Sloane Street with her brother Henry and his wife Eliza, and had gone to London so that she might correct the proofs for Sense and Sensibility. Her mood is happy - she must have been so excited about her forthcoming book, and she was obviously enjoying herself at all the parties, and was clearly interested in all the people she met. I love the fact that she was treating the sisters to new fabric for dresses, and looking forward to a party that Henry and Eliza were hosting. Here is the letter in full. Sloane St: Thursday (April 18). MY DEAR CASSANDRA, I have so many little matters to tell you of, that I cannot wait any longer before I begin to put them down. I spent Tuesday in Bentinck Street. The Cookes called here and took me back, and it was quite a Cooke day, for the Miss Rolles paid a visit while I was there, and Sam Arnold dropped in to tea. The badness of the wea...

As I'm sure you know by now the very lovely Laurel Ann Nattress of Austenprose   has a book coming out in October! Jane Austen Made Me Do It is being published by Ballantine books, and is available for pre-order! In case you've forgotten, though I'm sure I've mentioned it once or twice, I have contributed a short story to this amazing anthology. Just look at the fantastic authors featured on the cover - I'm thrilled to think that my piece inspired by Persuasion is to be amongst them, and I can't wait to read all the stories. I am so excitied about this book, not least because there's a chance I may even see it on a bookshelf here in the UK, which will be a rare treat for me! Adam Spunberg who runs the wonderful Jane Austen Twitter Project  with Lynn Shepherd  contacted me to tell me about an exciting interview he had with Deborah Moggach who wrote the screenplay for the 2005 film of Pride and Prejudice. It's a lovely interview which also features ...