Jane Austen was an English novelist whose books, set among the English middle and upper classes, are notable for their wit, social observation and insights into the lives of early 19th century women. Jane Austen was born on 16 December 1775 in the village of Steventon in Hampshire. She was one of eight children of a clergyman and grew up in a close-knit family. She began to write as a teenager. In 1801 the family moved to Bath. After the death of Jane's father in 1805 Jane, her sister Cassandra and their mother moved several times eventually settling in Chawton, near Steventon. Jane's brother Henry helped her negotiate with a publisher and her first novel, Sense and Sensibility, appeared in 1811. Her next novel Pride and Prejudice, which she described as her own darling child received highly favourable reviews. Mansfield Park was published in 1814, then Emma in 1816. Emma was dedicated to the prince regent, an admirer of her work. All of Jane Austen's novels were published anonymously. In 1816, Jane began to suffer from ill-health, probably due to Addison's disease. She travelled to Winchester to receive treatment, and died there on 18 July 1817. Two more novels, Persuasion and Northanger Abbey were published posthumously and a final novel was left incomplete. // Ian Edginton, one of Britain's best-known writers, has had a tremendous impact on the world of comics. In his illustrious career he has worked for Lucasfilm, Paramount Pictures and 20th Century Fox to adapt Star Wars, Star Trek, Alien, Predator and Terminator properties, as well as with the H.G. Wells estate to adapt War of the Worlds for Dark Horse. He owes his success to good collaborations with other artists from the industry, most famously D'Israeli (Scarlet Traces) and Steve Yeowell (The Red Seas). In 2007, his graphic novel Scarlet Traces: The Great Game was nominated for Best Limited Series and Best Writer at the prestigious Eisner Awards.
