We’ve written before at HuffPost UK about why Jane Austen (and Brontë) fans should give Elizabeth Gaskell a read. What about the authors Austen herself grew up reading? Which women authors did Austen love? Romney told us that her favourite women authors were likely Frances Burney and Maria Edgeworth. Advertisement“Austen also learned from their style, including the comic vignettes of Burney, the weighted gestures of Inchbald, and the skilful free indirect discourse of Edgeworth.”Which lesser-known authors should I read next if I loved Jane Austen?

Source: Huffington Post March 20, 2026 06:50 UTC