Rebecca Smith is a descendant of Jane Austen's brother Frank, making her Jane's five times great niece. 

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Rebecca is a successful author in her own right, publishing three works of fiction (The BlueBird Café, Happy Birthday and All That, and A Bit of Earth), a children's novel (Shadow Eyes) and also non-fiction works - The Jane Austen Guide to Modern Life Dilemma's and The Jane Austen Writers Club.  

 

In 2001, Rebecca was given a Southern Arts Award, and in 2003 she won the Royal Literary Fund's JB Priestly Award. She was also awarded an Arts Council England grant to support the writing of her fourth novel. Shadow Eyes was shortlisted for the 2012 Kelpies Prize, encouraging new writing for children in Scotland. 

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She has also been writer in residence at Chawton House Library, once the home of Jane Austen's brother Edward Knight, and she continues her connection to the library. Rebecca currently teaches History at the University of Southampton. 

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Rebecca provided a really interesting article to The Age about her links with Jane Austen: http://www.theage.com.au/lifestyle/life-and-relationships/rebecca-smith-my-antique-bookcase-brings-me-closer-to-my-familys-storied-past-20161102-gsg169 [Accessed 24th November 2016]