Claim: Kate Beckinsale starred in an adaptation of Jane Austen's 1815 novel Emma.

Jane Austen -LRB- -LSB- ˈdʒeɪn_ˈɒstɪn -RSB- 16 December 1775 -- 18 July 1817 -RRB- was an English novelist known primarily for her six major novels , which interpret , critique and comment upon the British landed gentry at the end of the 18th century . Austen 's plots often explore the dependence of women on marriage in the pursuit of favourable social standing and economic security . Her works critique the novels of sensibility of the second half of the 18th century and are part of the transition to 19th-century literary realism .   With the publications of Sense and Sensibility -LRB- 1811 -RRB- , Pride and Prejudice -LRB- 1813 -RRB- , Mansfield Park -LRB- 1814 -RRB- and Emma -LRB- 1815 -RRB- , she achieved success as a published writer . She wrote two additional novels , Northanger Abbey and Persuasion , both published posthumously in 1818 , and began another , eventually titled Sanditon , but died before its completion . Her novels have rarely been out of print , although they were published anonymously and brought her little fame during her lifetime . A significant transition in her posthumous reputation occurred in 1869 , fifty-two years after her death , when her nephew 's publication of A Memoir of Jane Austen introduced her to a wider audience .   Austen has inspired a large number of critical essays and literary anthologies . Her novels have inspired many films , from 1940 's Pride and Prejudice to more recent productions like Sense and Sensibility -LRB- 1995 -RRB- and Love & Friendship -LRB- 2016 -RRB- .   Jane Austen 's use of biting irony , along with her realism and social commentary have earned her great and historical importance to critics and scholars .   The Bank of England has confirmed that Austen will appear on the new polymer # 10 note , to be released in September 2017 .