FANS of the novels of Jane Austen have been visiting the Bodleian Library in Oxford to find out more about the life of the famous writer and her creative techniques.

Hundreds of visitors called in at the Weston Library last week to see displays showing the work of the author of Pride and Prejudice, Emma and Persuasion.

Actor Colin Firth is well known for his portrayal of Mr Darcy in the 1990s BBC TV adaptation of Pride and Prejudice and there have been a number of popular adaptations of the novels for TV and the big screen in recent years, confirming the 18th century author's popularity has barely diminished.

The exhibition, which opened on June 23 and runs until October 29, marks the 200th anniversary since the author's death.

Ali Smith, a celebrated author, playwright and scholar, joined special guests, including author Philip Pullman, at the Weston Library for the official opening.

Which Jane Austen? aims to challenge the public’s perception of one of England’s greatest literary heroes and presents the writer as a risk-taking businesswoman and a wartime writer who was informed and inspired by the international adventures of her family members.

Through a spectacular selection of Austen materials, displayed together for the first time, the exhibition delves into the many influences on the great writer’s work.

The Bodleian houses one of the three most significant collections of Austen memorabilia in the world.

Ms Smith said: "I am honoured to have been invited to open this exhibition, and to be here to celebrate above all Jane Austen’s merry, merciful, merciless, versatile eye,

"I also want to celebrate her unparalleled understanding of the human need for and love not just of narrative, but its structural workings and fulfilments.’

Ms Smith described how Jane Austen took 'the novel form to a next step so natural and effortless-seeming and so ahead of itself that novelists will always be beholden to her and are still racing to keep up with her'.

Ms Smith, who is well known for her innovative writing style, is the author of more than a dozen novels and short story collections, including the award-winning novel How To Be Both, a book of two halves that can be read in any order, and her latest work, Autumn, was praised by critics as ‘the first great Brexit novel.’

Prof Kathryn Sutherland, curator of the Bodleian’s exhibition, compared Ms Smith to Jane Austen, saying: "I think in many ways she has a comparable reputation now to Jane Austen’s in her own time."

The curator is Professor of Bibliography and Textual Criticism at Oxford University and a world-leading Austen expert.

She is editor of the exhibition’s accompanying publication, Jane Austen: Writer in the World, published by Bodleian Library Publishing.

Prof Sutherland said: "Contrary to popular belief, Jane Austen was no retiring country mouse.

"And while it is assumed that, as an 18th century female, her context was local and her outlook parochial, Austen was always very much a writer of the world.

"To mark the bicentenary of the death of one of our greatest literary heroes, this exhibition presents a 200-year journey ranging from Hampshire to the distant fringes of the British Empire, providing us with glimpses into the many lives of Jane Austen."

The exhibition also features items on loan from Oxford college collections, King’s College, Cambridge, Chawton House Library, Jane Austen’s House Museum, the British Library, the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, and the John Murray Archive, National Library of Scotland.

Richard Ovenden, Bodley’s Librarian, said: "Jane Austen is one of the greatest writers in English literature and this engaging exhibition draws on the Bodleian’s rich collection of Austen materials to illuminate the many different sides of this much-loved author.

"With fresh interpretation and a compelling array of objects, I hope Which Jane Austen? will provoke visitors to reconsider what they know about this national treasure."

For more information visit bodleian.ox.ac.uk/whatson