My Austen Heritage
Growing up at Chawton House, in the heart of my fifth great aunt Jane Austen's literary legacy, was the best start a girl could hope for. Jane's independent spirit, wit, and determination not only shaped her remarkable novels but also influenced my own path in life.
Walking the same halls, sitting at the same table, honoring the same family traditions, being surrounded by the same family treasures as Jane and talking to Jane Austen lovers all summer long, gave me a unique perspective on her world.
I am the luckiest person I know; the fortune of birth gave me Jane and Chawton, and I had nothing to do with that. But I have everything to do with what I do with it now.
I am delighted to share my Austen Heritage with Jane Austen, literature, and history lovers around the world. With my childhood in Chawton and my work with the global Jane Austen community over the last decade (with the Jane Austen Literacy Foundation, and at over 200 live events), I offer a unique family perspective on Jane, her world, her writing, and her legacy today.
It's my greatest pleasure to bring you closer to Jane's world by sharing my heritage and experiences with you in five ways:
1. My Austen Heritage Video Series
Exclusive to paid subscribers
My monthly video series offers a unique family perspective on Jane Austen as woman, writer, and legacy. I share Jane's story through the perspective of those who know her best – her family.
In each video, I share family history, stories, traditions, and childhood memories that provide a uniquely intimate perspective on Jane Austen's world, writing, and legacy. I weave these personal insights with carefully selected readings from books written by my family across the centuries, including:
James Edward Austen-Leigh's A Memoir of Jane Austen (1870)
Montagu Knight and William Austen Leigh's Chawton Manor and Its Owners - A Family Record (1913)
My own memoir Jane & Me: My Austen Heritage (2017)
This approach allows me to tell Jane's story through the words of those who truly knew her and her world, adding the depth of my own experiences growing up at Chawton House. It's a family tradition I'm proud to continue – sharing our unique perspective on Jane in a way only an Austen descendant can.
Recent and upcoming episodes include:
The Austens and the Knights - Family Connections (with my family tree)
George and Cassandra Austen - Parents of a literary icon
A Conversation with Jane's 6th Great-Niece (my niece) who lives in Chawton village today
The Rooms of Chawton House: My Childhood Memories
Paid subscribers also enjoy quarterly live Q&A sessions where I personally answer your questions about Jane, my childhood at Chawton House, and our family's role in preserving her legacy.
2. Dine Like Jane Austen
Taste history through recipes Jane would have eaten
In this exclusive monthly series for paid subscribers, I share authentic recipes recreated from my family's 18th-century cookbook – the same dishes Jane would have enjoyed at our family table.
Each month features:
Historical context for Regency dining traditions
Recipes adapted from The Knight Family Cookbook (from Jane’s time)
My personal notes on preparing these dishes
Photos from our special "Dine Like Jane Austen" event held at Chawton House
From Bath Buns (mentioned in Jane's letters) to Mrs. Bennet's Partridge with Lavender Stuffing, these recipes offer a tangible connection to Jane's world through the shared experience of food.
Click here for more information about the Dine Like Jane Austen series and a link to the first instalment:
3. Jane & Me: My Austen Heritage
My memoir of growing up in Jane's world
My memoir chronicles what it was like growing up at Chawton House on our family's ancestral estate where Jane herself lived and wrote. The book shares my personal journey from childhood in the heart of Jane's literary legacy to embracing my unique connection to a literary icon in the modern world.
Rated 4.3* on Amazon, you can buy the e-book and audiobook here (narrated by Alison Larkin, the world’s best-selling Austen audiobook narrator)
Or you can buy the paperback here:
“This book is a must read for all Jane Austen and British history fans. I could not put it down. The author not only takes one on a journey through her own life but also takes one on a journey through the "life" of Chawton House and the history of characters who once dwelled within its walls and hallways. I felt like I was there walking the corridors and sitting in the rooms as she gave descriptive, thorough and alluring narratives of Chawton House. If you are an Austen lover you will love this book her fifth great niece, Caroline Jane Knight, has written.” - Reader review
4. Meet Me In Person
Speaking engagements and live events
Experience my storytelling in person as I bring Jane Austen's world to life through:
Illustrated talks featuring family photographs and artifacts
Q&A sessions where you can ask about Jane and our family
Special events celebrating Jane's literary legacy
I'm particularly excited about my upcoming 2025 worldwide speaking tour for Jane's 250th birthday celebrations, which will include events in Australia, the Netherlands, Scotland, England, and the United States.
Available for Jane Austen events, libraries and literary festivals, conferences, educational institutions, private events, and online gatherings worldwide.
“It was an absolute honour to have Caroline as the speaker. Caroline is an engaging, warm and passionate speaker - when she spoke about walking the same places Jane would have walked and dining at the same table Jane would have sat, it was quite thrilling - you could have heard a pin drop!” - Mercia Chapman, President of the Jane Austen Society of Melbourne
5. Own a Piece of Austen Heritage
Exclusive merchandise inspired by family treasures
My merchandise collection features the distinctive design from our family's Wedgwood dinner service—the very one selected when Jane accompanied my fourth great-grandfather Edward and his daughter Fanny to the Wedgwood showroom in 1813.
Each piece honours the "small Lozenge in purple, between Lines of narrow Gold" pattern Jane described in her letter to Cassandra on 16th September 1813, allowing you to bring a touch of authentic Austen heritage into your home.
Join My Austen Heritage Family
Become a paid subscriber today to access my monthly "My Austen Heritage" videos and "Dine Like Jane Austen" series, plus exclusive Q&A sessions with me and other members of the Austen family.
As we approach Jane's 250th birthday in 2025, there's no better time to experience Jane's world through the eyes of her family.
Caroline Jane Knight is the fifth great niece of Jane Austen and the last of Jane’s nieces to grow up at Chawton House. Caroline’s childhood was steeped in Austen family history and traditions, and summers were spent talking to Jane Austen lovers who had made the pilgrimage to Jane’s literary home.
Caroline is author of Jane & Me: My Austen Heritage, presenter of the My Austen Heritage video podcast, founder and chair of the Jane Austen Literacy Foundation and Patron of Jane Austen Regency Week.
Caroline is also the former CEO of a marketing agency with over 2000 staff and owner of The Greyfriar Group, a coaching and development practice for professionals and creative business owners (working with private clients). Most recently, Caroline has launched The Austen Pathway to help authors master their marketing and build sustainable success. The Austen Pathway is the only program that combines Jane Austen's legacy of creative independence with modern business strategy.