Jane Austen and the penguin

Welcome to the world of Jane Austen, and her small companion, a penguin occasionally known as Darcy.

Together, they inhabit a period of time that slips between contemporary life and Bath’s Georgian society in the early 1800s.
Drawing on recently discovered new material, Jane Austen and the penguin examines an otherwise unnoticed relationship in the form of short commentaries and illustrations.

First Meeting

One morning, I was startled to find myself in the company of a somewhat distressed young woman.
“Dear Lady, how might I address you?” I enquired.
“Miss Jane Austen, if you please, Sir”, she replied.
“May I be of any assistance then, Miss Jane Austen?”
“Possibly”, she sniffed, “although I have never thought of penguins as being synonymous with literary wit”.
“Nor me”, I agreed.
And we both laughed at the very thought!

  • Greetings Cards

    Greetings Cards (6)

    Following the somewhat distressing move by her family to Bath in 1801, Jane Austen was surprised one afternoon by the unexplained appearance of a penguin. Occasionally known as Darcy, this curious companion became both friend and muse. The front of each card illustrates a previously undocumented time in Jane Austen’s writing life accompanied by a fictionalised version of events for…
  • Prints

    Prints (6)

    Jane Austen and the Penguin Fine Art Prints were created from original watercolour paintings. True or fanciful, the images were inspired by the social expectations of Bath Georgian society and the possibility of Jane Austen’s presence on Twitter.