In the first episode of Jane Austen's Paper Trail from The Conversation, we're delving into Austen's first novel, Sense and Sensibility where gossip – and the fear of it – plays a central role in the story. Through the rumours that swirl within its pages, we’ll find out what Austen herself thought about gossip, and the people who spread it.

Along the way we travel to Sally Lunn's tearoom in Bath, where Austen herself often took tea – with Andrew McInnes of Edge Hill University. And then we dive into the role of gossip in Sense and Sensibility with Lucy Thompson, a lecturer in 19th-century literature at Aberystwyth University and Katie Halsey, professor of English studies at the University of Stirling.

Gossip in the world of Jane Austen served several important functions: entertainment; intel; communication; miscommunication; and control. As reputations were fiercely guarded, one piece of misdirected or unfounded gossip could leave a young woman's honour in tatters. Deployed strategically, that was often precisely the point. And for women of Austen's time, being the subject of gossips could be a very dangerous thing indeed.

Jane Austen's Paper Trail is a podcast from The Conversation celebrating 250 years since Jane Austen's birth. If you have a question you'd like to pose to Jane Austen experts for an upcoming Q&A special, please email us on [email protected].

You can also sign up to receive a free Jane Austen 250 ebook from The Conversation, bringing together a collection of our articles celebrating her life and works.

Host: Anna Walker

Reporter: Jane Wright

Senior Producer and Sound Design: Eloise Stevens

Executive Producer: Gemma Ware

Artwork: Naomi Joseph and Alice Mason

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