250 Years of Jane Austen
Special event to mark the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen's birth
11AM, SUN 27 APRIL | BRITISH LIBRARY & ONLINE
Renowned for their witty social commentary and clear-eyed depictions of love and marriage, Jane Austen’s novels continue to be read, studied, adapted, imitated and worshipped all over the world.
To mark the 250th anniversary of the writer’s birth, this special event celebrates her life and legacy, as well as the iconic Regency fashions of her day. With fashion historian Amber Butchart, Austen scholar Professor John Mullan and writer, actor and star of Austentatious Cariad Lloyd.
Part of HistFest 2025 at the British Library.
Join us for an exciting weekend of talks, discussions, performance and music. Expect laughter and learning with an amazing line-up of historians, writers, performers and thinkers.
Tickets to HistFest 2025 are sold through the British Library. There are a range of tickets available:
Weekend tickets (£50) – access to all eight festival talks
Saturday tickets (£30) – access to all four Saturday talks
Online tickets (£15-£30) – online access to festival events
Individual event tickets (£12) – access to individual talks
Festival Line-up
Saturday 26 April
11AM - Young Elizabeth: Prisoner. Princess. Queen. Speakers: Dr Nicola Tallis in conversation with Dr Wanda Wyporska
1PM - Motherland. Speakers: Luke Pepera in conversation with Dr Mai Musié.
3PM - Titanic: Ship of Dreams. Speakers: Stephen McGann and Stephanie Barczewski in conversation with Duncan Barrett.
5PM - Ancient Mesopotamia. Speakers: Dr Moudhy Al-Rashid and Dr Selena Wisnom in conversation with Shaparak Khorsandi.
Sunday 27 April
11AM - 250 Years of Jane Austen. Speakers: Cariad Lloyd Amber Butchart and John Mullan.
1PM - The Women’s Orchestra of Auschwitz. Speakers: Anne Sebba in conversation with Prof. Kate Williams.
3PM - Humans: A Monstrous History. Speakers: Dr Surekha Davies in conversation with Dr Kate Lister.
5PM - Palaces, Queens and Scandal: An Evening with Kate Williams.