
Jane Austen was born on December 16, 1775. Her novels were written in the intervals between family excursions, although not in the order in which they were published. Sense and Sensibility was originally written in 1795 as Elinor and Marianne. Pride and Prejudice began life as "First Impressions" in 1797. Her other novels include Mansfield Park, Emma, and Persuasion. She died on July 18, 1817. Jane Austen’s novels have acquired a following which is almost cult-like, and the many dramatizations of her work for screen, television, and radio are testament to the books’ enduring popularity. One of her works was amongst the earliest transmissions to be heard on BBC radio: a reading of the proposal scene from Pride and Prejudice was broadcast on January 15, 1924.