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Jane Austen's name never appeared on her novels while she was alive. Sense and Sensibility (1811) was credited only to “A Lady”, and her later novels, such as Pride and Prejudice, to “the Author of” her earlier books.

Sense and Sensibility, title page, 1811

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Austen published four novels in her lifetime, all without her name: Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park and Emma. Anonymous novels were common at the time; Walter Scott published Waverley without his name in 1814. For a clergyman's daughter it was also a way to keep her privacy. The secret still spread: the Prince Regent admired her novels, kept a set in each of his residences, and Emma was dedicated to him. She earned £140 from Sense and Sensibility and sold the copyright of Pride and Prejudice for £110. Austen died in July 1817, aged 41. Months later, her brother Henry wrote a biographical notice for the posthumous Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, which named her publicly as the author for the first time.

Türkçe oku
Jane Austen'ın adı, hayattayken yayımlanan romanlarının hiçbirinde yer almadı. Sağduyu ve Duyarlık (1811) yalnızca “Bir Hanımefendi” imzasıyla çıktı; Gurur ve Önyargı gibi sonraki romanlarında ise yazar, “Sağduyu ve Duyarlık'ın Yazarı” gibi önceki kitaplarıyla anıldı.
Sağduyu ve Duyarlık, iç kapak, 1811

Austen hayattayken dört roman yayımladı ve hiçbirinde adı yoktu: Sağduyu ve Duyarlık, Gurur ve Önyargı, Mansfield Parkı ve Emma. O dönemde romanları imzasız yayımlamak yaygındı; Walter Scott bile Waverley'i 1814'te adını koymadan yayımlamıştı. Anglikan bir papazın kızı olan Austen için bu, özel hayatını korumanın da bir yoluydu. Yine de sır yayıldı: Naip Prens, yani sonraki Kral IV. George, romanlarına hayrandı, her sarayında bir takımını bulunduruyordu ve Emma ona ithaf edildi. Austen, Sağduyu ve Duyarlık'tan 140 sterlin kazandı; Gurur ve Önyargı'nın telif hakkını ise 110 sterline sattı. Temmuz 1817'de, 41 yaşında öldü. Birkaç ay sonra ağabeyi Henry, ölümünden sonra yayımlanan Northanger Manastırı ve İkna için kısa bir yaşam öyküsü yazdı; kız kardeşinin romanların yazarı olduğunu kamuoyuna ilk kez bu yazıda açıkladı.

Sources and further reading

Background reading: Jane Austen
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