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Jane Austen’s 250th: How I Marked the Occasion
- Christina Boyd
- Dec 18, 2025
- 3 min read
Jane Austen turned 250 on Tuesday, December 16, and I celebrated her quietly—very quietly—at home in Washington State, while rain poured steadily outside. Though floodwaters rose in many areas here in Western Washington, from the safety of my house, the rain seemed suited for reflection and long study out the window.
I didn’t attend a ball or host a tea (confession: I didn’t drink tea at all). Instead, I brewed coffee, indulged in pastry, and settled in for an all-day Austen movie marathon. I scrolled through social media, commenting on every Jane Austen post across multiple platforms. Apparently, the Austen algorithm really has my number! I was delighted by how many readers, writers, scholars, and fans were marking the occasion in their own ways—quoting favorite lines, sharing Austen-inspired new releases or Austen editions, debating adaptations, and expressing gratitude for an author who continues to shape lives centuries later.
No one author has changed my life quite like Jane Austen. As a moody teenager, I first encountered Austen during a period when my tastes skewed toward somber works like Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the d’Urbervilles. Austen, by comparison, seemed restrained, polite. I couldn’t yet see the depth of her insight or the sharpness of her wit.
Decades later, I rediscovered her novels and fell in love completely: with her language, the era, her humor, and the biting brilliance of her social commentary. I marveled at how elegantly she captured the human spirit—its hopes, blind spots, vanities, and capacity for growth. That love of her canon and the Austen-inspired variations reshaped my life in ways I never could have predicted.
After two decades as a wholesale artist, I pivoted toward books—becoming a book editor and writer. Through this new career, my world filled with fellow Austen readers, authors, and scholars—people whose intellect, generosity, and enthusiasm continue to enrich my days. Some of them I now call dear friends.
My story isn’t unique. That’s precisely the point. All around the world, readers celebrated Austen’s 250th birthday because her words remain as alive and illuminating as ever. She still speaks to us—about love and money, class and kindness, self-knowledge and change. She reminds us to look closely, think clearly, and laugh at ourselves.
As if the day needed one more perfect Austenesque moment, Amazon delivered my author copies of To Mark the Occasion, a multi-author anthology created in honor of this milestone year. My short story, “Mary Crawford’s Debut,” appears alongside nine other stories, all written as a celebration of Austen’s enduring legacy.
I’m especially proud that all royalties from the anthology have been pledged to the Jane Austen Literacy Foundation, founded by Austen’s fifth great-niece, Caroline Jane Knight. Supporting literacy while honoring an author who gave so many of us our reading lives feels exactly right.
So, my Jane Austen 250th was spent indoors, pastry- and coffee-fueled, surrounded by stories—hers and those inspired by her. It was quiet, joyful, and sentimental. However you celebrated—or even if you didn’t at all—her work remains as wise and witty as ever.
Why do you love Austen? How have her words changed your life?
ABOUT THE ANTHOLOGY
Celebrate 250 years of Jane Austen with a thoughtful collection of birthday tales inspired by her unforgettable characters.
In honor of Austen’s milestone jubilee, ten Austenesque authors reimagine the lives—and fêtes—of her most beloved (and occasionally infamous) creations. Join the festivities for Pride and Prejudice favorites such as Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth Bennet, Mr. Bingley, Charlotte Lucas, Kitty Bennet, and Georgiana Darcy, celebrate Captain Wentworth’s long-awaited occasion after Persuasion, attend the debut of Mansfield Park’s Mary Crawford, while two funerals and a birthday return us to Northanger Abbey.
Each story sparkles with wit, warmth, and a few surprises in the spirit of dear Jane. Brimming with humor, romance, and a keen understanding of the human heart, To Mark the Occasion: Birthday Tales for Jane Austen’s 250th is an enthusiastic tribute to Austen’s enduring genius—and a joyful reminder that every year (and every story) is worth celebrating.
All proceeds from this anthology will be donated to Jane Austen Literacy Foundation. Foreword by Caroline Jane Knight.
AUTHORS: Melissa Anne, Christina Boyd, P. O. Dixon, Cathleen Earle, Harry Frost, Susan Kaye, Melanie Rachel, Denise Stout, Bethany R Tolson, and Zarilda Belle Frost, editor.
I celebrated quietly at home.