Jane Austen anniversary celebrated with postcard exhibition at Seamus Heaney: Listen Now Again

Launched on 16 December, the exhibition brings together more than 800 creative postcards by young people aged 13–18 from 35 schools across Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England. Each postcard offers a fresh interpretation of the theme “Friendship,” inspired by the words of Jane Austen and Irish novelist Maria Edgeworth.  

The postcards are on public display in Seamus Heaney: Listen Now Again until 6 January 2026 (Nollaig na mBan). See our opening hours over Christmas here. 

The launch event was hosted by British Ambassador to Ireland Kara Owen and featured former Children’s Laureate PJ Lynch as a special guest, alongside students from seven participating schools across the island of Ireland. The Creative Postcards project is led by Fergal Kilkenny, art teacher at St Louis Secondary School, Dundalk, in collaboration with the British Embassy and the British Council. 

British Ambassador to Ireland Kara Owen said: 

“Today we mark two milestones: Jane Austen’s 250th birthday and the launch of the fourth sequence of a fantastic UK–Ireland creative collaboration. The Creative Postcards Project is a perfect manifestation of creativity and cultural exchange—bringing together over 800 students from 35 schools across Ireland and the UK to explore themes that matter today. 

“Austen’s work remains timeless. From Pride and Prejudice sparking conversations in the 1990s to Emma inspiring Clueless, and continuing to thrive on #BookTok, her voice speaks to every generation. This year’s theme, Friendship, was inspired by Austen and Maria Edgeworth—two writers who understood the sinews of human connection and the ties that bind us. Friendship is also central to my role as Ambassador. 

“I am so impressed by the originality and creative skill of these young artists. Their work bridges centuries. Their exploration of Austen and Edgeworth’s themes sparks reflection and conversation. They are the best possible ambassadors for friendship.” 

Dr Kerry McCall Magan, Director of British Council Ireland, said: 

“Much of the work we do at the British Council is rooted in the belief that young people can better understand themselves, their communities, and the wider world when they encounter stories, voices, and ideas beyond their own. Literature has always been one of the most powerful ways to build these connections. It allows us to explore different cultures, imagine new possibilities, hear different perspectives, and understand human experiences beyond our own. 

“The Friendship Postcards creative exchange project is inspired by this tradition and celebrates the literary friendship and dialogue of two remarkable writers—Jane Austen in the UK and Maria Edgeworth in Ireland. Their mutual respect, encouragement, and appreciation of each other’s work remind us how friendship can spark creativity, deepen understanding, and cross every border—building networks of imagination, empathy, and understanding.” 

Dr Audrey Whitty, Director of the National Library of Ireland, said: 

“This is a particularly fitting partnership for the National Library of Ireland. We hold significant archival material relating to the novelist Maria Edgeworth, and it is well documented that Edgeworth and Jane Austen were contemporaries connected through friendship, reading, and influence. To see young people engaging creatively with that legacy, across these islands, speaks directly to the Library’s mission to connect collections with new generations. 

“It is also entirely appropriate that this exhibition is being showcased at Seamus Heaney: Listen Now Again. Seamus Heaney’s life and work exemplified the power of literature to bridge traditions, cultures, and communities, particularly across the island of Ireland. Bringing these voices together in this space reminds us that literature is not only inherited but continually renewed through dialogue and creativity.” 

In an exciting development, Jane Austen’s House in Hampshire will host a dedicated exhibition of the postcards from 22 January to 22 February 2026, coinciding with the Pride and Prejudice Festival, bringing the creative exchange to the home where Austen lived and wrote all six of her novels. 

Seamus Heaney: Listen Now Again is a free exhibition at the Bank of Ireland Cultural and Heritage Centre, drawing on the NLI’s Seamus Heaney archive. Admission is free and open to all.