12 gift ideas for Jane Austen lovers
Thoughtful gift ideas for the Austen fan in your life, from wearable quotes to Regency tea parties, for birthdays, holidays, book clubs and bridesmaids.
Shopping for someone who has read Pride and Prejudice more times than they will admit? You’re in luck. Austen fans are easy to delight, as long as the gift shows you get it. Here are twelve ideas, from small and sweet to properly swoon-worthy.
Things they can wear
1. A shirt that says what they’re thinking
For the friend who has never once been talked out of an opinion: our Society of Obstinate Headstrong Girls design, inspired by Lady Catherine’s furious insult to Elizabeth Bennet. It works as a birthday gift, a book club uniform or a bridesmaid shirt for a literary wedding party.
2. Something with a hidden quote
The best Austen gifts are the ones only other fans recognize. A favorite line on a bracelet, a bookmark or a notebook cover feels personal without being obvious.
Things they can read
3. A beautiful edition of their favorite novel
Most Austen fans own a battered paperback. Give them the version worth displaying: clothbound, illustrated or annotated. Annotated editions are especially good for re-readers, because they explain all the social details that are easy to miss.
4. Her letters
Austen wrote thousands of letters, mostly to her sister Cassandra. Only around 160 survive, and they show her at her funniest and most gossipy. A collected edition is a treat for anyone who has finished all six novels.
5. A retelling or a biography
Once someone has read the novels, the next step is reading around them: a well-reviewed biography, or one of the many modern retellings that move Austen’s plots into new settings.
Things they can do
6. A Regency tea party kit
Loose-leaf tea, a pretty teacup and a tin of shortbread. Bonus points for a handwritten invitation to come and actually drink it with you.
7. A letter-writing set
Austen’s heroines communicate through letters, often life-changing ones. A set of good stationery, sealing wax and a nice pen is a gift that invites people to write back.
8. A needlework or embroidery kit
Needlework was part of everyday life for women in Austen’s world, and stitching a favorite quote is a calming, very on-theme hobby.
9. An Austen movie night
Popcorn, a cozy blanket and a list of adaptations to argue about. Add a note: “Book versus movie: discuss.”
10. A trip to Austen country
For a big occasion: a trip to Bath, where Austen lived and set parts of Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, or to the village of Chawton in Hampshire, where she wrote and revised her novels.
Things for the whole book club
11. Matching book club shirts
Nothing says “this is a serious literary society” like everyone showing up in the same design. The Society shirt makes a great group order for book clubs, English departments and literary bachelorette parties.
12. A quiz night
Make it a game. Our free Which Austen heroine are you? quiz is a great icebreaker, and the results tend to start arguments in the best possible way.
Tip: if the person you’re shopping for has strong opinions about Mr. Darcy, ask which adaptation they prefer before you buy anything. You’ll learn a lot.
