Sophie Gee

And like the other heroic women of this episode, I'm a bolter.

I'm a fighter.

I'm a writer.

I like to duel with pistols.

I like to flee from oppressive men in my life.

And I've always got a pen in my hand ready to dash off the latest scandalous, scurrilous novel.

So as surely every listener to this podcast will know, today is the day.

Jane Austen's 250th birthday, December the 16th, 2025.

Happy birthday, Jane.

It's never been a better time to be in the Austen business.

It is a boom, which is, of course, too bad for Austen herself.

There's so much Austen out there.

There's the fabulous new book by Devani Losa, Wild for Austen, which uncovers this whole side to Austen that we suspected but weren't 100% sure about, which is this subversive, sometimes politically radical, always challenging version of everyone's favourite female writer that

There's another adaptation of Pride and Prejudice coming our way, written by Dolly Alderton with Olivia Colman, another heroic figure.

There's worldwide.

Cosplay happening, even as we speak, with bonnets and Regency dresses.

The streets of Bath.

I mean, it's a riot.

It's turned into a riot town on the 16th of December.

And there's any number of other Jane Austen events and spinoffs all over the world.