About the book: To commemorate the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth, the British Library is reproducing, in beautiful facsimile form, a first edition of Pride and Prejudice from the Library’s restricted collections. Pride and Prejudice has been enchanting readers for centuries with its universal story of premature judgement and stubbornness in love. Austen fans will now be able to own her iconic novel as it was originally published by T Egerton in London in 1813, in three gorgeous volumes, presented in an ornate clamshell case. This edition will also include reproductions of Austen letters from the Library’s collection of her personal effects, as well as introductory notes by a lead curator.

About the author: Jane Austen is perhaps the most famous British satirist of all time. Over forty-one years, she published six novels, all which have been loved and lauded for their sharp wit, clever pastiche and unmistakeable scathing narrative voice. In 2017, she was featured on the £10 banknote. 2025 marks the 250th anniversary of her birth.