Is Jane Austen the greatest English novelist of all time?

from Big Ideas · host Australian Broadcasting Corporation

She's on a bank note (British 10 pounds), and a bath soap (Suds and Sensibility), and she also wrote some of the most beloved novels in English literature. Why has Jane Austen become such an enduring cultural force, and what makes us return to her works time and time again?This event, celebrating 250 years since Jane Austen's birth, was recorded at the National Library of Australia on 20 August 2025.SpeakerSusannah Fullerton President of the Jane Austen Society of Australia, guide, ASA Cultural Tours

What this episode covers

She's on a bank note (British 10 pounds), and a bath soap (Suds and Sensibility), and she also wrote some of the most beloved novels in English literature. Why has Jane Austen become such an enduring cultural force, and what makes us return to her works time and time again? This event, celebrating 250 years since Jane Austen's birth, was recorded at the National Library of Australia on 20 August 2025. Speaker Susannah Fullerton President of the Jane Austen Society of Australia, guide, ASA Cultural Tours