Exhibition: The Austens at Oxford

Did you know that Jane Austen and nearly all her closest family had ties to Oxford?

In 1783, seven-year-old Jane Austen and her sister Cassandra briefly came to school in Oxford. Her brothers, James and Henry, studied at St John’s College, while her father, George Austen, also studied and later taught there, rising to become one of the College’s most senior Fellows. Other family members held leading positions at All Souls, Balliol, and Brasenose Colleges.

About the Exhibition

Step back in time to the Oxford that the Austens would have known.

This special exhibition of eighteenth-century archival materials reveals how the city and University helped shape one of Britain’s most beloved writers.

Curated by Dr Timothy Manningmore, lecturer in eighteenth and nineteenth-century literature and culture at Regent's Park, Oxford, and Michael Riordan, Archivist at St John's College and The Queen's College, the exhibition offers a rare glimpse into Georgian Oxford.

Visiting Information

The exhibition is free and open to the public
Wednesday 3 – Monday 8 December
10 am – 5 pm daily

Accompanying Events

Guided Tour(s) and Talk: The Austens in Oxford

Thursday 4 December
Kendrew Barn
7 – 8 pm
Join the curators for a short talk on the Austens' Oxford connections. There will be opportunities to tour the exhibition with the curators both before (6-7pm) and after the talk (8-9pm)

Admission to the talk and the tours is free, but advance registration is essential. Register here.

Screening: Lady Susan by Creation Theatre

Friday 5 December
Garden Quad Auditorium, St John’s College
5.30 pm

Enjoy an exclusive screening of Lady Susan, Jane Austen’s witty epistolary novella, brought to life by Creation Theatre. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Creation Theatre’s Artistic Director and members of the cast. Discover more about the screening here.

Admission is free, but advance registration is essential. Register here.

Discover Oxford through Jane Austen’s eyes.