While her name was not attached to her books in her lifetime (she published anonymously), Jane Austen continues two centuries hence to be lionized [ˈlaɪəˌnaɪz] as one of the English language's greatest novelists.

lionize
verb [ˈlaɪəˌnaɪz]

To lionize someone is to treat them as a person of great interest or importance.

humans have long projected qualities of bravery and regality upon the proverbial “king of the beasts.” It is precisely those and similar admirable qualities that led, in the 18th century, to lion being used for a person who is similarly well-regarded, especially after a long and distinguished career in a particular field, as in “lion of the Senate,” or “literary lion.”

English