From Letters to Literature: Gill Hornby at the Archives
Thursday 9 October 2025
7–8pm
£2
Kent History & Library Centre, James Whatman Way, Maidstone, UK
Event Description
Bestselling novelist Gill Hornby has vividly recreated Jane Austen’s world in books including Godmersham Park and The Elopement. Her acclaimed novel Miss Austen was recently adapted into a BBC series starring Keeley Hawes.
In this event, Gill discusses her novels and the research behind them, reflecting on how records and manuscripts from the Knight and Austen families in the Kent Archives informed her writing.
Perfect for readers who love Austen and historical fiction, and for writers interested in how primary sources can be transformed into compelling stories.
Biography
Gill Hornby is the author of The Hive and All Together Now, as well as The Story of Jane Austen, a biography of Austen for younger readers.
Her subsequent novels, Miss Austen and Godmersham Park were Sunday Times bestsellers, and Miss Austen is a four-part BBC adaptation starring Keely Hawes as Cassandra Austen. She is also the President of the Jane Austen Society.