CAROLINE JANE KNIGHT
The last of Jane Austen’s nieces to grow up in Chawton, where Jane herself lived and wrote
Caroline shares more than Jane Austen's name and DNA.
“I must keep to my own style and go on in my own way”
Growing up in Chawton, in the heart of Jane Austen’s literary legacy, Caroline shared her great-aunt Jane’s dream of independence. At 18, Caroline left Chawton to forge her own path, building a distinguished international career in marketing and business as a CEO, director, entrepreneur and published author, and created the life she had always dreamed of.
Inspired by Jane, Caroline leverages her extensive business experience and expertise to help others find their independence.
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As CEO of The Austen Pathway, Caroline is dedicated to helping authors and creatives develop the confidence, mindset, skills and networks to increase sales and create their own independence. The Austen Pathway also provides comprehensive marketing, publishing and business services for those who prefer to outsource.
As founder & chair of The Jane Austen Literacy Foundation, Caroline has created a global network of Jane Austen lovers, readers and writers working together to give children in developing communities the gift of independence through literacy. 100% of donations is spent on literacy resources and activities.
Caroline walked the same paths, enjoyed the same cherished family library, and dined from the same Wedgwood dinner set as Jane Austen, at the same dining room table. Discover Caroline's unique connection to one of history’s most successful women. In her memoir and through her talks worldwide, Caroline shares her Austen Heritage and her own path to independence.
JANE AUSTEN, CAROLINE AND CHAWTON
Chawton House was built by John Knight in 1588 and has been handed down through the generations. Jane Austen’s brother, Edward Austen Knight, inherited the Chawton estate towards the end of the 19th century, from the Knight family, on the condition he changed his name from Austen to Knight.
In 1809, Jane Austen moved into Chawton Cottage with her mother and sister, a short walk from what she fondly called Chawton ‘Great’ House, her brother’s Hampshire home. Settled in Chawton, Jane created her own pathway to achieve her dream of becoming a published and well-read author. During the eight years she lived in Chawton before her untimely death, she published Sense & Sensibility, Pride & Prejudice, Mansfield Park, and Emma. Unfortunately, she did not live to see the publication of Persuasion and Northanger Abbey, both of which were published posthumously.
Jane earned £650 as a writer, no small feat for a woman of her time, and is one of the world’s most beloved authors. Her timeless characters, like Elizabeth Bennet, have inspired independence for centuries. Learn More
Caroline is Edward Austen Knight’s fourth great granddaughter and lived at Chawton House for the first 18 years of her life, while it was still the private home of Edward’s descendants.