It's Not All Balls and Bonnets: Jane Austen at 250

Born 250 years ago this year, Jane Austen remains one of the most beloved writers in the English language. She created unforgettable characters from Emma, the self-declared matchmaker, to Sense and Sensibility’s caddish Willougby, not forgetting the inimitable Elizabeth Bennett from Pride and Prejudice, whom Austen herself called “as delightful a character as ever appeared in print.” Her work has spawned hundreds of TV and film adaptations, becoming the template for the period drama and perhaps leading to the assumption that Austen only cares about balls and bonnets. Nothing could be further from the truth! This talk examines Austen’s continued popularity today, by looking at the many things she wanted to say with her novels, the interesting life she led, the fans (and critics) she amassed, and the imprint she forever made on the modern-day romcom.

Dr Ellen Howley is an Assistant Professor at DCU’s School of English. Her book, Oceanic Connections: The Sea in Irish and Caribbean Poetry (Syracuse University Press, 2025), is a comparative study of poetry in English written by poets from Ireland and from the Caribbean. She is a regular contributor to Newstalk and RTE Radio One. Her writing has appeared in Irish Times, The Conversation and RTE Brainstorm, where she published her most controversial piece, ranking Jane Austen’s novels.