A NEW exhibition celebrating a world-famous author with connections to Basingstoke has opened in the town.

The Jane Austen Exhibition at the Willis Museum includes various artefacts which belonged to the Pride and Prejudice author, such as her writing slope and spectacles.

There is also a manuscript of one of her early works, The History of England, a 1791 work by Austen, written when she was just 15-years-old and living in Steventon.

Hampshire Cultural Trust secured the items to bring back to Hampshire – the county of her birth – on a temporary loan from the British Library's collections.

The historic items will allow Hampshire residents to see these great pieces of local history right on their doorstep.

A launch event was held at the museum, at the Top of The Town, with attendees including Rebecca Smith, a descendant of Jane Austen, who read letters from her novel Emma, while a pianist played pieces from the Austen era on the pianola.

Representatives from the Basingstoke Heritage Society, Hidden Britain Tours, Destination Basingstoke and Dr Simon Barnard, who supervised the testing of Jane Austen’s spectacles, also attended the launch.

Basingstoke MP Maria Miller, who worked with Hampshire Cultural Trust to bring the items to the town, said: “Jane Austen was born in the borough in Steventon and lived here for more than 25 years. Jane’s friends and family lived in Basingstoke and the surrounding villages – it is here where she danced, shopped and met the people who, some think, influenced the characters she wrote about in her books.

“In the run up to 2017, 200 years since her death, Basingstoke should celebrate its most famous daughter, one of the world’s foremost and finest novelists.”

At the launch, Hampshire Cultural Trust also announced Jane Austen 200 - Hampshire’s big theme for 2017 which will mark the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen’s death.

The year 2017 will see a wealth of exhibitions, events and activities related to the famous author at museums and arts venues across the county.