Southampton is set to mark the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen's birth with a series of events.

The Jane Austen 250 programme will be launched on November 15, with an exhibition at God's House Tower.

The exhibition, titled In Training for a Heroine, will display the novelist's travelling writing desk and a contemporary interpretation of her life and literary works by artist Jocelyn McGregor.

The celebrations will also include an exhibition at the SeaCity Museum, theatrical and musical performances, talks, conferences, and themed walking trails.

The events, starting from autumn 2024, will run throughout 2025.

Austen, who lived in Southampton between 1806 and 1809, had ties to the city that are less known compared to her connections with Bath and North Hampshire.

The celebrations will invite visitors to explore different perspectives of her life and the influences of the city on her novels.

The Jane Austen Exhibition at God’s House Tower starts November 15 until February 23, 2025.

Austen’s travelling writing desk, a gift from her father around her 19th birthday, is returning to the city for the first time since she lived here.

Southampton is the only place in the UK to exhibit the writing slope before it embarks on a world tour.

Alongside the desk, a contemporary art interpretation of Jane Austen’s works by British artist Jocelyn McGregor will be on display.

A new Jane Austen Heritage Walking Trail Map will also be available for download.

The walking trail will commemorate Austen’s time in Southampton and will feature eight locations pertinent to the author’s life.

From March 29 until late autumn/winter 2025, SeaCity Museum will host A Very Respectable Company – Jane Austen & her Southampton Circle Exhibition. This exhibition will present items loaned by descendants of Austen’s circle of friends.

From June 10-14, 2025, the Mayflower Theatre will stage a unique retelling of Pride and Prejudice. The Olivier Award-winning comedy is an adaptation of Jane Austen’s iconic love story.

For more information on the programme of events, you can visit www.visitsouthampton.co.uk/janeausten250.