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THE BEAUTIFUL CASSANDRA AND OTHER EARLY WRITINGS
By the young Jane Austen - a selection of stories which Jane wrote when she was between the ages of 12 and 15

Read by Teresa Gallagher

Published November 2006

Note: the double "ll" in "beautifull" is the way Jane herself spelled the word

The picture on the front cover is by Cassandra Austen and is a portrait of their niece, Fanny Knight. It is reproduced by kind premission of the Jane Austen House

Jane Austen was born in 1775 in her father's Rectory in the village of Steventon in Hampshire. By the time of her death in 1817 she had written 6 major novels, left two others unfinished and was the author of a considerable amount of correspondence. Most people know Jane Austen for "Pride and Prejudice", "Emma", "Persuasion" and the other novels. Less well known is the fact that she started writing at the age of 8 and many of her early stories were dedicated to her family and friends. The six pieces in this collection were all written when she was between the ages of 12 and 15 and they show a light hearted, humorous approach to storytelling that may surprise those who only know her adult work.

Teresa Gallagher has performed many leading roles in plays and musicals across the country, in London's West End and Off Broadway. She is a well known voice to listeners of BBC radio drama having recorded hundreds of plays and readings over the years, as well as many audio book readings such as the Biography of Jane Austen, the Emily Windsnapp series, The Treasure Seekers and Bleak House. Her work on film includes Mike Leigh's' Topsy Turvy' and 'The Jacket' with Adrian Brody. On TV she presented the children's series, Playdays, along with roles in Footballers Wives, Casualty and Thackery's Women. She also works extensively in voice-overs and animation.

The piano is played by Peter White. All the music is taken from music books owned by Jane Austen herself and is played on a Clementi square piano, identical to the one Jane used. This one stands in Jane Austen's house in Chawton Hampshire,

Price: £9.99 plus p&p
Ref No: CC008
ISBN: 978-0-9551394-7-5