Jane Austen's writing desk returns for anniversary

The portable writing desk is being loaned by the British Library

A writing desk used by Jane Austen is set to return to Southampton as part of the 250th anniversary of the author's birth.

The novelist, whose works include Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility, briefly attended boarding school in the town and later lived in a house in Castle Square for three years.

Her travelling writing desk - on loan from the British Museum - will be exhibited at God’s House Tower.

It is the centrepiece of an exhibition marking the author's connections with Southampton.

Jane Austen lived in Southampton between 1806 and 1809

While Austen did not write any of her novels while living in Southampton, she is thought to have been inspired by the society events, places and residents of the then fashionable spa resort.

She moved to Southampton from Bath in 1806, along with her mother and sister, Cassandra, following the death of her father.

With Austen enthusiasts around the world preparing to mark the 250th anniversary of her birth next year, the writing desk will return to Southampton for the first time since the regency era.

The portable, mahogany desk was designed to fold into a case for ease of travelling, and was gifted to her around the time of her 19th birthday by her father.

It forms the centrepiece to an exhibition beginning on 15 November, along with workshops and community activities.

A specially-created Jane Austen Heritage Walking Trail Map highlights eight key locations, each marked by a plaque explaining the novelist’s Southampton story.