I was somewhat surprised to recently read that a letter writing campaign and a steady barrage of public criticism ended plans for a statue of formerly beloved author Jane Austen. It seems that Winchester Cathedral commissioned sculptor Martin Jennings to create a monument for the 19th century English writer to be placed in its inner close. Despite governmental support from the Winchester City Council and the Hampshire County Council, an extensive letter writing campaign put the kibosh on the project. Personally, I never much liked her maudlin, overly sentimental novels much anyway, but I’ve always thought that Winchester Cathedral was impressive.