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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Steven Morris

Winchester plan for £100,000 Jane Austen statue triggers ‘Disneyfication’ fears

Winchester Cathedral's Jane Austen statue to mark the 250th anniversary of the author's birth.
Winchester Cathedral's Jane Austen statue to mark the 250th anniversary of the author's birth. Photograph: Steve Russell Studios/Solent News & Photo Agency/Solent

The idea was to celebrate one of the greatest British authors with a beautiful statue set up in a cathedral for the 250th anniversary of their birth.

But at a public meeting to discuss the erection of a Jane Austen sculpture close to her final resting place at Winchester Cathedral, concerns were raised that it would lead to the “Disneyfication” of the place of worship and become a magnet for tourists keen to get a selfie.

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