Ladies of letters

A star-studded drama explores a mystery in the life of Jane Austen

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Jane Austen's novels are among the most beloved in the history of English literature. But what was the enigmatic writer of Pride and Prejudice, Emma and Sense and Sensibility really like? This week, there's a fascinating insight into her private life in BBC1's lavish period drama Miss Austen.

Based on Gill Hornby's novel, the four-part series reveals the author's bond with older sister Cassandra as it imagines why her sibling, played by Keeley Hawes, destroyed some of Jane's letters following the author's death at the age of 41.

'Cassandra was an extraordinary woman and she and Jane were close,' says Bodyguard star Hawes, 48. 'I couldn't read the script without crying. This is a story about love, relationships and families, what people mean to each other, and how we experience life and loss. It's like we're getting a new Jane Austen story.'