Last Friday, the Panora Public Library traveled back in time to the turn of the nineteenth century to discover the life and works of Jane Austen. The Library hosted the “Keep Calm and Read Jane Austen” presentation with guest speaker Kathy Wilson.

Wilson, a historian and genealogist, presented the life and writings of Jane Austen. The presentation included several Enlightenment themes, history, and cultural practices of the late 1700’s and early 1800’s, which greatly influenced Austen’s writings. The lack of notoriety for Austen immediately after the original publications was a main topic of discussion. Other than for being a female author, Wilson explained Austen’s mediocre reception at her time in history. “When she published her books, novel publications were at an all-time low because there was all kinds of discussion about ‘low fiction’ and those were stories that gave you an over-expectation of what was possible. So there was not a demand for the novels that fell into that category of Romantic Fiction.”

Wilson goes on to explain that Austen’s nephew published a biography on Jane which presented her in a more appealing light to Victorians. This helped her gain popularity and established her as a classic novelist. Numerous adaptations across a myriad of mediums continue to contribute to Austen’s appeal today.

The Library will end their month of programming with the Banned Book display.