Cambridge celebrates 200 years of ‘Britain’s best loved novel’

Often voted Britain’s favourite book, Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is one of the most famous novels in English literature and it just turned 200 years old.

First published 28 January, 1813, ‘the original rom-com’, is now a global brand, with numerous film and TV adaptations making Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy household names.

To celebrate this special bicentenary, the Press has just published, The Cambridge Companion to Pride and Prejudice, a brand new collection of essays investigating some of the sources of the novel's power and why it has become an enduring classic with a unique and timeless appeal.

Edited by leading Austen scholar, Professor Janet Todd, President of Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge, the Companion explores key themes and topics in detail; money, land, characters and style as well as ‘the cult of Pride and Prejudice’.

Professor Todd, who was recently awarded an OBE for services to higher education and literary scholarship, has been in the media spotlight this week talking about the book on the Today Programme, Jeremy Vine, BBC TV News, Radio 3’s flagship arts show, Night Waves, CNN, and in the Guardian.

In June Professor Todd will host the inaugural ‘Pride and Prejudice Conference’ at Lucy Cavendish College featuring a series of talks by well-known Austen academics, readings from Pride and Prejudice by popular modern authors and media figures, and screenings of classic Jane Austen film and television adaptations, as well as a Regency ball and a day trip to Austen’s home village of Chawton.

• Back to Latest news