Postscript is proud to be the official bookseller for the Jane Austen Festival and we're dedicating these pages to books linked to the event and its talks. Reflecting our relationships with major publishers and independent presses, our broad selection of titles ranges from Austen's novels, through books that shed light on her personality, her legacy and the era she and her characters inhabited, to those that focus on topics such as letter writing, music and women pioneers – all at up to 75% off RRP.

'No one can really be esteemed accomplished who does not greatly surpass knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, and the modern languages ... and besides all this, she must possess a certain something in her air'

It is not enough, according to Caroline Bingley, for a woman to be adept in only one subject; to be worthy of the attention of the scrupulous Mr Darcy she must be accomplished in several. While this is a challenge, even by 19th-century standards, these guides and histories provide introductions to such subjects. As for Mr Darcy’s additional requirement, ‘the improvement of her mind by extensive reading’, our range includes classic literature which could have been found in many a regency home.

'She was in training for a heroine'

While Catherine Morland could not be considered accomplished by Caroline Bingley’s standards, ‘she could not write sonnets’, had no talent for the pianoforte and ‘had no notion of drawing’, her strength and enduring kindness makes her a refreshing anti-heroine in her own right. The pioneers showcased here, including Austen herself, resisted the conventions of their times, forged their own path and in doing so achieved the ‘true heroic height’ that Catherine aspires to throughout Northanger Abbey.