This article first appeared in The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Dec. 14, 2025

On Dec. 16, let the Regency balls and festive events begin as the date marks beloved English writer Jane Austen’s milestone 250th birthday.

Just as America gears up to mark its own 250th birthday in 2026, Austen’s enduring literary legacy resonates deeply. Her sharp wit, timeless characters and insightful social commentary have not only shaped classic literature but also have inspired countless films, modern adaptations, and cultural nods in music and books — proving that Austen’s influence continues to captivate and inspire audiences around the globe.

In Austen’s time, women were not usually able to be writers, but she fought through many obstacles to become a famed and celebrated author. Her plots often focused on everyday social life: town gossip, markets, money exchanging hands and, of course, marriage in patriarchal society.

Austen’s work helped shift literature from sentimental, melodramatic novels to literary realism, influencing later renowned authors. Never have discussions about men about town been so intriguing as when women discuss them in hushed tones in one of her novels. Never have manners mattered so much.

Her unique narration style lent itself to the enduring popularity of novels like “Pride and Prejudice” and “Emma.” Virginia Woolf and other literary heavy hitters directly acknowledged Austen as an influence, and today Austen’s work continues to inspire modern adaptations, films (such as the recently-released Netflix film “Jane Austen Wrecked My Life”) and a host of Hallmark movie adaptations.

Many contemporary novelists of Austen-inspired fiction, such as “The Jane Austen Book Club” by Karen Joy Fowler, or “Bridget Jones’s Diary” by Helen Fielding, and other retellings, describe her as a foundational influence.

In 1975, American collector Alberta H. Burke (a Goucher alumna) donated her collection of Austen letters and manuscripts, splitting it between the Morgan Library & Museum in New York and Goucher College. This year, the Morgan celebrates those items as well as hosting various events planned around her semiquincentennial birthday.

Various generations have celebrated Austen in their own way. In 1995, a year Austen’s estate noted as important for Austen’s works in TV and film – “Austenmania!” is how one exhibit in the Austen House celebrates it. The four landmark 1995 adaptations celebrated there are the BBC’s “Pride and Prejudice” starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle; Ang Lee’s “Sense and Sensibility” with Emma Thompson; BBC’s “Persuasion” starring Amanda Root and Ciarán Hinds; and the modern classic “Clueless,” a witty reimagining of “Emma” with Alicia Silverstone.

Austen is now reaching a whole new set of readers. Generation Z has embraced Austen through #AustenTok on TikTok, as well as through retellings and book clubs. There is a sense among Gen Z that going back to books is nostalgic, and that has changed the way publishers market to those audiences. And books like “Lost in Austen: Create your own Jane Austen Adventure” serve as a shortcut into her books (without actually reading her books).

Gen Alpha is now reading YA books like “Prom and Prejudice” and the newer “Texting Ms. Austen: A Contemporary Jane Austen Retellings Anthology,” which features various short stories that retell these classics through a digital-age lens, complete with texts, DMs and viral posts.

If imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, Jane Austen is clearly most beloved. If Regency-era drama is not your thing, here are a few (there are many) of Austen retellings to help you dip your toe into, or revisit, Austen’s greatest works.

“Anne of Avenue A” by Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding (Gallery Books, $19)

Jane Austen heads to Manhattan in this modern, mistletoe-sparked take on “Persuasion.” Eight years after ditching her old flame, Anne Elliot is still living with her dad and dreaming of a do-over. Then fate and her father’s bad spending bring ex-boyfriend Freddie Wentworth right back into her life. His new NYC apartment? Her old one.

Soon the holidays are full of awkward run-ins, nosy neighbors and enough romantic tension to light up the Village. Can Anne and Freddie finally get their happily-ever-after, or are they destined for another romantic flop?

“Ladies in Waiting: Jane Austen’s Unsung Characters” by Adriana Trigiani et al. (Gallery Books, $19)

This book offers a peek into what would have happened with some of Austen’s minor, sometimes forgotten characters. Eight authors have come together with wildly imaginative reboots of their lives.

In this anthology, writers spin what-would-have-happened next tales for everyone from “Pride and Prejudice”’s snobbish Caroline Bingley to a modern descendant of “Sense and Sensibility”’s Eliza Williams.

“Pride Prejudice and Pittsburgh” by Rachael Lippincott (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, $19.99)

Pittsburgh teen Audrey Cameron is fresh off a brutal breakup and waitlisted at her dream art school, so she’s done with love and her creative spark. Enter Mr. Montgomery who zaps her back to 1812 England, turning her into a full-on Regency heroine.

There, she baffles Lucy Sinclair, an heiress dodging a forced marriage on her family’s estate. As they puzzle out Audrey’s time-travel mess and plot her return, the girls ditch their dud suitors and ignite real chemistry with each other.

“Give me a Reason” by Jayci Lee (St. Martin’s Griffin, $19)

Anne Lee gave up her love for Frederick Nam to save her family, and spent 10 years convincing herself he was just a chapter in her past. Now a rising K-drama star, Anne’s back in LA, and fate throws them together at a wedding — her as bridesmaid, him as groomsman.

Frederick, now a firefighter with no time for romance, is all business. But sparks fly, old feelings bubble up and now Anne’s faced with a big question. This book is a heartfelt, second-chance romance that’s equal parts sweet, steamy and full of K-drama vibes.

“Dashed” by Amanda Quain (Wednesday Books, $21)

“Dashed” is a breezy, modern spin on Jane Austen’s “Sense and Sensibility,” this time sending the Dashwood-style drama on a cruise ship instead of the English countryside. Expect plenty of family tension, romantic mishaps and nods to Austen, all packaged like a summer vacation read rather than a formal classic.

“Eligible” by Curtis Sittenfeld (Random House, $19)

In this modern retelling of “Pride and Prejudice,” Liz Bennet is a 30-something NYC magazine writer, rushing home to Cincinnati with her sister Jane after their dad’s health scare. They find their Tudor mansion (and other sisters) in total chaos, yet their mom is in panic mode to marry them off before Jane hits 40.

Cue hunky doc Chip Bingley fresh off reality dating fame on the reality TV dating show Eligible, who crushes on Jane at a BBQ — while his smug neurosurgeon pal Fitzwilliam Darcy rubs Liz the wrong way.