Chiswick House to Mark Jane Austen's 250th Birthday
Author of Miss Austen to appear with some of the cast from the TV series
Phyllis Logan and Kevin McNally as Jane and Cassandra’s parents in ‘Miss Austen’. Picture: BBC/Robert Viglasky
June 6, 2025
Chiswick House is to host a special event to mark the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth.
Gill Hornby, president of the Jane Austen Society and author of Miss Austen, which was adapted into the BBC drama series, will be presenting ‘Jane Austen: Fact and Fiction’ with the director and cast members of the series also appearing. Miss Austen is a fictionalised exploration of Austen and her sister Cassandra which was dramatized earlier this year.
Among those giving readings will be Chiswick residents Phyllis Logan and Kevin Logan, who played the author’s parents in the production. The director of the series, Aisling Walsh, another Chiswick resident, will also participate in the talk which will be illustrated with clips from the programmes.
The event, which will be the Chiswick Book Festival’s keynote evening, is taking place in the Garden Pavilion on Thursday 11 September and will be chaired by Festival director Torin Douglas.
Xanthe Arvanitakis, Director of Chiswick House & Gardens Trust says, “We’re delighted to welcome local book lovers to Chiswick House & Gardens for the Chiswick Book Festival, and we can’t wait for this exciting Jane Austen-themed event, which we’re sure will be a hit with Book Festival regulars and new attendees alike.
“The annual literary festival is part of a lively programme of events at Chiswick House & Gardens Trust, where we aim to provide something for everyone, from nature lovers, to families with small children – and, of course, history aficionados and literature lovers. As a charity that is 75% supporter funded we exist because of and for our community, and hosting the festival is part of our commitment to being a place and space that people enjoy all year round.”
Rose Leslie, Keeley Hawes, Mirren Mack and Jessica Hynes from ‘Miss Austen’. Picture: BBC/Robert Viglasky
Torin Douglas, Director of the Chiswick Book Festival, says, “The Festival’s Chiswick House evening is always a highlight for book lovers in west London but this year is particularly special. We’re honoured to be welcoming the new president of the Jane Austen Society, Gill Hornby, and from the BBC drama series Miss Austen, Aisling Walsh, Phyllis Logan and Kevin McNally, who all live in Chiswick and love Chiswick House”.
Tickets for this event will be on sale from June.
This page is sponsored by West London Queer Project who support community initiatives in Chiswick.
