As 2017 begins, so do festivities marking the 200th anniversary of the death of British author Jane Austen. Alongside events set to take place in Austen's birthplace of Hampshire, fans across the country (and beyond) will see the author featured on banknotes -- and a lucky few already have.
This year, the Bank of England is to release new 10-pound notes featuring a portrait of Austen, author of "Pride and Prejudice," "Sense and Sensibility," "Mansfield Park" and "Emma." Appearing as part of the banknote design will be the "Pride and Prejudice" quote "I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading!"
An 1870 portrait of the author will be joined by an illustration of "Pride and Prejudice" protagonist Elizabeth Bennet as well as an image of the author's writing table and her brother's home at Godmersham Park, which inspired many of her novels.
A scavenger hunt of sorts, meanwhile, is under way to find a handful of 5-pound banknotes featuring minuscule portraits of the artist by micro-engraver Graham Short. Each of the four bills, which were put into circulation in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland in December, features a 5mm portrait of Austen encircled by a quote, just to the right of Big Ben.
A first note was discovered in Wales in December, followed by a second in Scotland this week. Keep up with the whereabouts of notes three and four at www.grahamshortart.com/news.
As the year continues, the bicentenary will be celebrated with exhibitions, talks, walks, writing competitions and performances in Hampshire, Austen's birthplace and whose people, landscape and society inspired her work.
Among the highlights, "The Mysterious Miss Austen," an exhibition exploring the author's work and featuring five portraits gathered together for the first time, will run May 13 - July 24 in Winchester Discovery Centre; it will then travel to Gosport Discovery Centre and Basingstoke's Willis Museum.
