Inspirational Women's Poll - The Results Are In

Inspirational Women's Poll - The Results Are In

LONDON, March 8/PRNewswire/ --

- With Photo

- Jane Austen voted the most influential and inspirational female author
whilst Victoria Beckham only inspires 2% of the nation's women

In a landslide victory, Jane Austen has been voted the most inspirational
and influential female author in a new poll commissioned by Buena Vista
International UK to celebrate the release of Becoming Jane at cinemas on
March 9th

- Jane Austen received 32% of all votes, with modern chick lit
authors like Helen Fielding only achieving 4% of the votes between them.

- JK Rowling took second place with 18% of the votes, whilst Mrs.
Beeton took 2% of the votes.

- Anita Roddick is still the most inspirational business woman in
the UK

- 54% of women are inspired by their mothers

- 2% being inspired by Victoria Beckham or Madonna

- 16% are inspired by Mother Teresa and 6% by Julie Waters

- Jane Austen has also been called the most influential female
author by modern day writers and Pride and Prejudice was voted the book
the nation could not live without in last week's World Book Day Poll

"Jane Austen taught me that you can be a feminist and still have fun and
that literature can be profound but ALSO pleasurable' Authoress and
commentator Kathy Lette

'Austen - arguably the matriarch of chick lit - made everyone take the
female dating experience seriously.' - author Polly Williams

Anne Hathaway who plays Jane Austen in Becoming Jane also claims to have
been inspired 'Jane Austen was a genius and playing her allowed me to
discover the process of creativity of a genius... I love the world she wrote
about and the way she wrote about it in a time when women could have so very
little.'

'I was influenced by Jane Austen from the moment I was born. Two hundred
years ago, what were the odds that a country parson's daughter would overcome
all the difficulties of her life and write books that generations of men and
women would read.' Author - Lizzy Aston

Becoming Jane stars Anne Hathaway, James McAvoy, Julie Walters and Dame
Maggie Smith in the story of how Jane Austen was inspired to write her novels
by her own real life experiences.

Notes to Editors

For more information on the Inspirational Women survey contact Meena at
Meena Khera PR on +44-(0)207-034-0200 or meena@meenakhera.com. Additional
celebrity quotes and interviews available.

For more information on Becoming Jane please contact Premier PR
National enquiries: Kate Hudson/Elizabeth Follows/Suhan Razzaque,
Tel: +44-(0)20-7292-8330, Email: firstname.lastname@premierpr.com
Regional enquiries: Ntashie Kane / ntashie.kane@premierpr.com / Tel:
+44-(0)20-7292-7310. Images from Becoming Jane available on:
www.image.net

Survey results from Omnibus Survey carried out 2-4th March 2007

A picture accompanying this release is available through the PA
Photowire. It can be viewed at www.mediapoint.press.net or
www.prnewswire.co.uk

Source: Inspirational Women Survey

For more information on the Inspirational Women survey contact Meena at Meena Khera PR on +44-(0)207-034-0200 or meena@meenakhera.com. Additional celebrity quotes and interviews available. For more information on Becoming Jane please contact Premier PR National enquiries: Kate Hudson/Elizabeth Follows/Suhan Razzaque, Tel: +44-(0)20-7292-8330, Email: firstname.lastname@premierpr.com, Regional enquiries: Ntashie Kane / ntashie.kane@premierpr.com / Tel: +44-(0)20-7292-7310

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