Allow me to tell you that I admire and love you passionately. The first time many of us came across this phrase was not in the pages of Pride and Prejudice, but printed on the back of a schoolmate during the bibliophile fever of the early 2000s. It became for us a romantic slogan turned into an accessory long before we knew exactly who Mr. Darcy was, or before we had the patience to finish a Jane Austen novel.
From signing her novels under a pseudonym in 18th-century England to presiding over all kinds of merchandising, the new generations have placed this British writer at the center of an aesthetic revival: idyllic settings, airy dresses, pastel colors, and a coquette air dominating TikTok and Pinterest. Beyond textbooks, Jane Austen is now an involuntary influencer inspiring fashion trends, playlists, and even viral videos. "Her books are very visual and address universal themes that transcend time. They can be equally appealing to a 13-year-old teenager and a 70-year-old lady. Charles Dickens, for example, is excellent, but his novels are very anchored to a very specific historical period: the Industrial Revolution," explains Miguel Ángel Jordán, professor of English Philology at the Abat Oliba CEU University and vice president in Spain of the Jane Austen Society.
But what exactly attracts millennials and centennials to the new Austen wave? Behind the aesthetic fever lies a deeper fascination that resonates with a generation tired of dating apps. As we celebrate 250 years since her birth, Austen is both muse and idol, vintage and trend: a classic transformed into a pop icon. "She was a woman far ahead of her time who wrote stories that take longer than usual to age and whose depth goes beyond their apparent lightness," points out Jordán. This allows for the emergence of "more modern" TV adaptations set in the 21st century, "because ultimately they still make sense."
As much sense as the themed events. The most famous is the Jane Austen Festival, held every September for 10 days in Bath, a beautiful city in southern England whose tourism benefits from having been the setting of Northanger Abbey and Persuasion. "Jane Austen lived here for five years and wrote two of her works. When you walk through the city, you are not only following in her footsteps, but you also come across many place names, streets, and even characters that transport you to that era," explains Georgia Delve, festival director. "We are fortunate that much of its beautiful Georgian architecture has been preserved, known worldwide for its film locations. It is an incredible setting for fans, who come here to take many creative photos and videos," adds Rachel Beswick, one of the event organizers and head of the Jane Austen Centre in the city.
Delve points out that Jane Austen's England was named by The New York Times "the number one place in the world to visit in 2025." There is not a single available accommodation within 100 kilometers (or 60 miles, to be precise).
In the year of the 250th anniversary, celebrations are multiplying worldwide and attracting an intergenerational audience. Workshops to learn croquet, tea gatherings, literary, historical, and fashion talks, guided tours, theatrical performances, dance demonstrations... The Alma publishing house has organized its own Jane Austen Fest on October 25 in Madrid, transforming the halls of the Palacio de Santoña into the Regency's Netherfield. After the announcement on social media, the initiative sold out in less than half an hour. And in Barcelona, they will organize a massive reading party in November.
Miguel Ángel Jordán explains that the idea of creating a Jane Austen Society in Spain, with counterparts in countries as diverse as Italy, Denmark, Pakistan, New Zealand, or the United States, arose in 2016 at a conference on the author on the bicentenary of her death. Along with Elena Truant, another young philologist, they created the society as a meeting point for readers of the British author. "I give many talks, creative writing sessions, book clubs... And I know that 100% of the attendance will be female. In fact, I am used to being the only guy," says Jordán. He based his doctoral thesis on Jane Austen's literary style and, as a great connoisseur of her work, he is the author of Jane, a fictionalized life (Ciudadela Editorial) and a future Guide to Jane Austen for good relationships to be published in January. Throughout his career, he acknowledges having faced skeptical comments of all kinds: "When I talked to my friends about my thesis topic, they would say, 'But aren't those novels for girls?' And I would tell them no, they are for everyone. They thought I was crazy."
3,500 people attend each year the festival dedicated to the author of 'Pride and Prejudice' in the English city of Bath, and many are men
Beswick points out that at the Jane Austen Festival, which attracts an average of 3,500 people edition after edition, a high percentage are men, especially in activities such as fencing tournaments, dance contests, and the final costume parade, their flagship event. Just this year, the renowned Regency Costume Grand Promenade had over 2,000 participants in costume. "I have noticed that there are many male readers. It's just that, as movies emphasize the romantic part, the label of Jane Austen as a romance writer has been created, which is inaccurate," says Jordán. "She had a deep and valuable knowledge of human psychology without even being formally trained, and she was an excellent communicator." He cites Emma or Sense and Sensibility, where Austen spoke about interpersonal relationships and social issues "with an extremely elegant irony and sense of humor, appealing to anyone who can read between the lines." "Some editions have this pastel touch on the cover that ends up confusing. Men feel embarrassed to be seen with such a book. I always say that I am going to write a book called Men and Prejudices, because they still exist," he insists.
"My biggest dream is to end that impertinent label of women's literature, especially when it comes to romantic novels," says Patricia Fernández, a young cultural disseminator and content creator whose work was influenced by Jane Austen to the point of choosing the place where she would do her Erasmus. "In Austen's books, there is not a single kiss or erotic scene. She simply used the narratives of the time to convey a deeper message that still makes us reflect to this day. It was her way of giving a political speech through fiction."
"One does not read Jane Austen's books as a manual for modern times, but there are certain traits that endure," she explains. "In the latest sequel of Bridget Jones's Diary, there is a Mr. Darcy who acts exactly like the Darcy in Pride and Prejudice. In the end, archetypes have been created from her characters, and it excites me to see so clearly how they perpetuate a legacy that was not fully appreciated at the time." What the content creator points out is by no means the only case of Austen's return to modern life. In the last decade, streaming platforms have warmly welcomed a wave of series and movies with nods to the work of the British author or, at least, set in Georgian and Victorian England.
"They are like a gateway to Anglo-Saxon culture for Generation Z. Series like Bridgerton or The Crown make many young people interested in history, accents, music, fashion... and I find that wonderful," explains María G. Durán, content creator in English known as MariaSpeaksEnglish on social media and founder of the English method Pikingli. Durán confesses to being a fanatic of these productions. From the very popular Bridgerton to The Buccaneers, passing through Sanditon, Emma, The Favourite, or Mr. Malcolm's List.
As you read this article, Netflix is currently filming a new miniseries based on the love-hate story of Bennet and Darcy. "Although they depict another era, with a context and social expectations quite different, the emotions of the characters remain very current: wanting to fit in, pride, frustration...," describes María. "I love seeing how those conflicts were faced back then and realizing that, deep down, we haven't changed that much. These are equally relevant things for humans whether you transport them from 1800 to 2025."
An article by Lara López in The Conversation analyzed how characters like Mr. Darcy "seduce because they embody a double promise." On one hand, the promise of romantic love that drives both protagonists to grow and overcome social prejudices, and on the other hand, the fantasy that any leader, even the proudest one, can yield to a good argument and a good dose of irony. López concludes that, although we might not fall in love with Darcy in real life, he remains irresistible in the parallel universes of literature and cinema: "His figure reminds us that romantic ideals do not die: they transform, amplify, and continue to fascinate us, century after century."
Generation Z actors like Georgina Amorós and Omar Ayuso - who rose to fame with Elite - also star in Audible's audio fiction of Pride and Prejudice, their first foray into the world of literary adaptations premiering this October. "It has been a gift to rediscover the intelligence and irony that Jane Austen portrayed with Elizabeth Bennet," says Amorós. Ayuso, who read the work in his childhood, admits he never thought he would have the opportunity to embody Darcy: "He is a fascinating, timeless, captivating character. I don't know how many times I've watched the movies as a teenager." Audible, which this year sponsors the grand parade of the Jane Austen Festival in Bath, ensures that new formats, such as audiobooks, help younger generations approach the classics. The actress believes that the new version manages to capture all the spark, humor, and sensitivity of the novel. "I think any listener will enjoy it immensely, young and old alike," she emphasizes.
Linked to the success of this range of productions, the anniversary has also been the perfect excuse for publishers to launch special editions aimed at old and new Jane Austen readers. "In many cases, young people's first contact with a great work of universal literature is through us," says Diego Moreno, editor at Nórdica Libros. "Publishing Austen was essential, but we didn't want to do it with the most famous works, so we opted for two lesser-known little gems: The Watsons and Lady Susan." Moreno describes the reception of the collector's pack they prepared for the occasion as "extraordinary," which includes the two illustrated books along with a commemorative tote bag: "It has sold out several times since we put it on sale in March," he assures.
Tags like #JaneAusten or #PrideandPrejudice accumulate nearly one and a half million posts on Instagram and thousands of interactions. They also lead a trend of BookTok videos, where many content creators - mostly in their twenties - talk about her novels dressed in custom-made dresses with plenty of ribbons, corsets, flowers, and fine jewelry. Their recording space is also full of nods to the Regency era. For María G. Durán, the aesthetics are part of the charm: "The dresses, the landscapes, the stately homes... All that setting allows us to escape to another time and live a little bit in that world. But I believe that what truly connects with the audience are the stories. They not only entertain but also arouse curiosity and connect new generations with a part of culture that, otherwise, might seem distant or boring."
"We are a kind of hinge generation. We are at the point where the youngest have already been born with a phone in hand, but those of us who have experienced a brutal digital revolution in our adolescence and early adulthood are now reclaiming the physical, the slow-paced, what connects us to emotions. Rereading these authors is returning to the essence, but I think it is part of a much broader movement that involves being able to bring tangibility back to our lives," reflects disseminator Patricia Fernández. And she points out the nostalgic indulgence: "We have gone from analog to iCloud, to ebooks, to TikTok, and suddenly you realize that life has five senses. Romanticization is the consequence of starting to create a new narrative, of trying to seek outside what we lack inside."
Amidst such Austenmania effervescence, a key question emerges: has Austen's work become a brand whose appeal transcends literary aspects today? Professor Jordán believes so, albeit with nuances: "You search for her name on social media and all kinds of posts pop up in a second. But I think it's a good thing, it's her merit, because the product is the result of quality, which is the most important thing. If she had lived today, Jane Austen would have been rich, no doubt," he laughs.
"I believe she is above all the merchandising she has, but many people come to her novels from that commercial side. Then, they read them and love them."
Posters, wallets, sweatshirts, towels, jewelry, plush toys, sweets, board games... In the gift shop of the Jane Austen Centre in Bath, practically everything imaginable can be found; the books barely occupy two shelves of a crowded display of themed items. "It is true that beyond its literary, historical value, and being a pioneer of feminism, Jane Austen has become a brand that allows us to sell her books, as well as mugs, caps, bags...", agrees the editor of Nórdica Libros. "It is common in our world and has the virtue of leading many people to her books for other reasons." While we cannot know for certain if Jane Austen would have liked to see her face printed on a t-shirt, it is universally acknowledged that few authors have achieved what she did in just 41 years of life: transcending the nineteenth-century salons and walks through the English countryside to become, two and a half centuries after her birth, a cultural phenomenon.
"Reading Jane Austen makes us better people because she has very solid values that never go out of style," Jordán concludes and points out that Austen had the privilege of reading positive reviews and critiques in her lifetime, but he doubts if today she would stand out among all the authors being published daily, with titles so similar to each other: "I would like to think she would, because she has something special."
With the saturation of the publishing market and the change in dynamics in the supply and demand of the reading public, it is difficult to predict if the success of her work will endure another 250 years. "Her books are very slow. Stories where one meditates, where enjoyment comes in slow motion. The reality is that today a reader's attention span lasts as long as a TikTok if not trained," opines Fernández. "Perhaps what we should ask ourselves is how many followers Jane Austen would have if she opened an Instagram account, because that is what determines expectations today. In reality, I am glad she has remained there, like a beacon in her century, without us ending up corrupting her completely."