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St Swithun’s student founds Jane Austen book club at school |
Abi Woodward, a 16-year-old pupil at St Swithun's in Winchester, started the club, Austen and Co, as the 250th anniversary of the author's birth approaches.
The Times interviewed Abi and discussed the rising trend of interest in Jane Austen from Gen Z, which you can read here.
Abi said: "I think there is a level of escapism with the book. The balls, tea parties, and dresses take people away. But the storylines still make sense to a modern reader. The characters aren’t flat.
"Austen is a very witty writer and I think she puts that into her characters. Most people in my school have read or studied Pride and Prejudice. So I thought it would be nice to try and encourage people to read more of Austen’s books."
Photography by Julian Benjamin
Abi said she believes that Austen’s world speaks directly to the frustrations of dating in 2025.
She said: "We live in the age of Snapchat and being nonchalant, making sure you’re not too much or too obvious. So reading dramatic love confessions and long speeches is such a level of escapism compared with modern dating.”
Here at St Swithun’s we encourage students to lead clubs or academic lunchtime talks, as a chance to experience leadership roles and pursue their interests further. We are pleased Abi had the opportunity to share hers with The Times. The Austen and Co club meet every few weeks so there is enough time to read inbetween, and it is thoroughly enjoyed across year groups.