Killian Ferdine

Dog Avoids Trouble By Slowly Backing Out Of The Room Like Nothing Happened

Israeli strike hits U.N. school, killing at least 15

(Photo: Lefteris Pitarakis / AP)

Strike is the fourth time a U.N. facility has been hit in fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants

Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Today marks the 197th anniversary of beloved English novelist Jane Austen’s death. Despite the fact she (unfortunately) didn’t live to see 238, her legacy marches on. Here’s 5 Reasons Why You Should Still Care About Jane Austen:

1. Traveling across the pond anytime in the next two years? Austen ‘s face will be featured on the new  £10 note, which will go into circulation in 2017. (Read More) 

2. Speaking of her face (and money) … in December of last year, Sotheby’s sold a watercolor portrait of Ms. Austen (based on a sketch by her sister, Cassandra) to a private art collector for £164,500 (around $270,000). (Read More).

3. Kelly Clarkson (yeah, that Kelly Clarkson) brought a ring once owned by Austen, but couldn’t leave the country with it because of a temporary export ban placed on the piece of jewelry in the hopes that the national artifact would stay at Austen’s original home in England. It did. 

4. Researchers are using Austen’s work in contemporary neuroscience to find out how our brains work on literature. (Read More)

5. While we’re on the subject of Austen’s anniversaries, January of last year marked 200 years since her most acclaimed novel, Pride and Prejudice. (Read More)

What’s Next for Jane?

The complete works of Jane Austen are being re-imagined for a new generation. Six well-known authors are re-penning each of Austen’s books for a new generation of romance readers.