BBC Radio 4 and 4Extra will mark the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth this December with a major season of special programmes and new dramas celebrating her life and legacy.
From 6th December, listeners can enjoy a complete audio collection of Austen’s six major novels, including Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Emma, Mansfield Park, Persuasion, and Northanger Abbey, all available on BBC Sounds. A special day of broadcasts will take place on Radio 4 on 16th December to honour Austen’s birthday.
The season begins and ends with two new Radio 4 dramas – Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility – narrated by Tamsin Greig as Jane Austen herself. Written by Rachel Joyce and Claudine Toutoungi, the new adaptations revisit themes of love, heartbreak and sisterhood through a modern lens.
A new ten-part factual series, When I Met Jane Austen, hosted by biographer Dr Paula Byrne, will feature contributions from well-known admirers including David Baddiel, Val McDermid, Katherine Rundell, Kate Atkinson, Andrew Davies, Gurinder Chadha, and Marlon James, exploring how Austen’s writing has inspired their work.
Radio 4’s Bookclub will feature Emma Thompson, reflecting on her adaptation of Sense and Sensibility and why Austen’s stories continue to connect with audiences today. The station’s continuity announcers will also join in the birthday celebrations on 16th December.
Radio 4Extra will air classic Austen-themed programmes from the past forty years, while BBC iPlayer will showcase TV adaptations and documentaries including Jane Austen: Rise of a Genius. Actor Monica Dolan will also read Persuasion for The Read on BBC Four and iPlayer.
Matthew Dodd, Commissioning Editor for Arts, said the season “brings together a rich and varied collection showcasing the many ways Austen’s voice still resonates today.”