Local Bookstore Throws A Party For Jane Austen’s Legacy

ST. CLOUD (WJON News) -- It is a birthday bash 250 years in the making in St. Cloud on Saturday. Books Revisited in downtown St. Cloud is celebrating the 250th birthday of author Jane Austen. They have tea from Sophisticated Spice Tea Shop, cupcakes, stickers, and of course, Jane Austen books for sale.

Owner Jon Lee says there are birthday celebrations for Austen being held worldwide:

"You know, there's a whole thing with like costume parties and balls, and just sort of a kind of the throwback, and so there's a lot of that that is going on. I know there were several places, not locally here, but in the Twin Cities. I know one of the libraries had an event, I think last week, and there's been a couple other ones in Minnesota."

Lee says they like to have special events like Austen's birthday party in the store and celebrate with their customers. He says you can never go wrong paying tribute to a great author like Austen and her works.

Has Books Revisited have a Jane Austen first edition?

Lee says they always have plenty of Austen paperbacks on hand, but they also have leather-bound editions, books in slipcases, and even a 100-year-old illustrated edition:

"This is a copy of Mansfield Park, which was one of her, I feel like she has six novels that are, this would be one of the six that are considered her major works, and this is not a first printing, but it is fun, it's an illustrated edition, it's from about 1900, a British printing."

Lee says he has never seen an Austen first edition, and those go for thousands of dollars and are cherished by their owners. Some of Austen's most popular titles included Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Emma.

The Jane Austen Birthday Party goes from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and is free to attend. Jane Austen was born on December 16th, 1775.

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