Uploaded May 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
PBS Books Readers Club welcomes international best-selling author Gill Hornby to discuss her novel Miss Austen. The episode premieres on April 30th at 8PM ET as a PBS Books Facebook Live event, on the PBS Books YouTube channel, pbsbooks.org, and the PBS app.
Opening in 1840s England, two decades after her beloved sister Jane’s death, elderly spinster Cassandra Austen returns to the vicarage of Kintbury on a mission to collect and destroy letters written by Jane. Cassandra must navigate time, strained relationships, and a meddling housemaid while on her mission to protect her late sister’s legacy. With each letter she reads, floods of vivid memories resurface, bringing both joy and sorrow.
Miss Austen weaves a story that blends the youthful promise and romance of early years with the hard-earned wisdom of experience.
In the interview, Hornby discusses her research and writing process, the joys and challenges of revisiting the world and writing style of Jane Austen, her recommended reads, and more.
“Cassandra didn’t just do Jane reputation a service by burning so many letters, she did me a great service as well because she created all these holes in Jane’s life story… and it was into there, into those pockets, that I could put my imagination.”- Gill Hornby
PBS Watch-Alike: PBS Masterpiece, Miss Austen, an adaptation of Hornby’s novel, comes to life on screen in a limited series on PBS Masterpiece. The four-part show, also titled Miss Austen, will premiere Sunday, May 4th at 9pm EST on PBS Masterpiece.
Hosts
Lauren Smith
Princess Weekes | @Princess_Weekes
Heather Marie-Montilla
Fred Nahhat
Explore our website: pbsbooks.org
Subscribe to our newsletter: pbsbooks.org/subscribe
Join the Readers Club: facebook.com/groups/pbsbooksreadersclub
Support us: pbsbooks.org/donate
#pbsbooks #pbs #author #bookclub #books #readersclub #missausten #gillhornby
PBS Books Readers Club welcomes international best-selling author Gill Hornby to discuss her novel Miss Austen. The episode premieres on April 30th at 8PM ET as a PBS Books Facebook Live event, on the PBS Books YouTube channel, pbsbooks.org, and the PBS app.
Opening in 1840s England, two decades after her beloved sister Jane’s death, elderly spinster Cassandra Austen returns to the vicarage of Kintbury on a mission to collect and destroy letters written by Jane. Cassandra must navigate time, strained relationships, and a meddling housemaid while on her mission to protect her late sister’s legacy. With each letter she reads, floods of vivid memories resurface, bringing both joy and sorrow.
Miss Austen weaves a story that blends the youthful promise and romance of early years with the hard-earned wisdom of experience.
In the interview, Hornby discusses her research and writing process, the joys and challenges of revisiting the world and writing style of Jane Austen, her recommended reads, and more.
“Cassandra didn’t just do Jane reputation a service by burning so many letters, she did me a great service as well because she created all these holes in Jane’s life story… and it was into there, into those pockets, that I could put my imagination.”- Gill Hornby
PBS Watch-Alike: PBS Masterpiece, Miss Austen, an adaptation of Hornby’s novel, comes to life on screen in a limited series on PBS Masterpiece. The four-part show, also titled Miss Austen, will premiere Sunday, May 4th at 9pm EST on PBS Masterpiece.
Hosts
Lauren Smith
Princess Weekes | @Princess_Weekes
Heather Marie-Montilla
Fred Nahhat
Explore our website: pbsbooks.org
Subscribe to our newsletter: pbsbooks.org/subscribe
Join the Readers Club: facebook.com/groups/pbsbooksreadersclub
Support us: pbsbooks.org/donate
#pbsbooks #pbs #author #bookclub #books #readersclub #missausten #gillhornby
