A statue of Jane Austen is due to be unveiled at Winchester Cathedral in October 2025. It will be sculpted by Martin Jennings.
The statue will depict Austen "with her ringlets and cap" standing next to her writing table. [1] [2] It will be situated outside 9 The Close. [2]
Jennings "studied the available evidence to produce a likeness" of Austen as there are no definitive images of her. Winchester Cathedral described Jennings' "overall conception, reflected in her expression and posture, emphasises [Austen's] moral vision and the strength of her literary legacy". [2]
There were previous plans to create a statue of Austen by Jennings in Winchester, but these were abandoned in 2019. [1] It is due to be unveiled on 16 October 2025 during a special service at the cathedral by the Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire, Nigel Atkinson, the Interim Dean of Winchester Cathedral Roland Riem, and Martin Jennings. [2] [3] [4] It will be situated outside 9 The Close. [2] The service will also feature readings from Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice with actors Joanna David, Susannah Harker, and Adrian Lukis who appeared in the 1995 BBC TV adaptation. [3]