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New Jane Austen display in Treasures Gallery

A new display to mark the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth can now be viewed in our Treasures Gallery.

19 November 2025
A double page opening of Jane Austen's manuscript for chapters 10 and 11 of Persuasion.

Jane Austen, manuscript of chapters 10 and 11 of Persuasion, July 1816, Egerton MS 3038, ff. 5v–6r.

In the small display, Jane Austen at 250, you’ll be able to see:

  • the first edition of Sense and Sensibility (1811) with ‘By a Lady’ on the title page
  • the illustrated ‘Peacock Edition’ of Pride and Prejudice (1894)
  • The History of England (1791) – one of Austen’s earliest works written when she was just 15
  • a letter written by Jane Austen to her brother Frank in July 1813
  • the only surviving manuscript of Jane Austen’s last completed novel, Persuasion.

You can discover more about what is on show in our blog post.

Catherine Angerson, Curator of Modern Archives, says: ‘The manuscripts and rare books on display, from her earliest writing to her final completed novel, Persuasion, offer tangible glimpses into Austen’s life and relationships as well as the literary evolution of her famous novels.

Jane Austen at 250 will be on display in the Treasures Gallery in our London site until 15 March 2026.