It’s enough to soften even the Editrix’s tarlike spinster heart. A UK Arts Council poll that asked 6,000 people to name the people who inspired them in the arts. Jane Austen placed on the list for 18-to-25-year-olds, the over-25 list, and the overall list.

On AustenBlog’s side of the pond, students at Colby College in Portland, Maine, took a “civic engagement” class on Jane Austen that included not only studying her work but the culture and history of her time and that culminated in a gala ball for 120 people. Thanks to Alert Janeite Lisa for the links!