Presented by writers and performers, the six-part series examines original manuscripts, letters and diaries to bring personal insight to the individual writers and their classic works. The presenters are former EastEnders writer Tony Jordan, actor Simon Russell Beale, scientist Professor Alice Roberts, singer and broadcaster Cerys Matthews, journalist and author Bidisha and award-winning writer and Virginia Woolf expert, Dr Alexandra Harris.
A colourful and creative app will be available for viewers to download and explore, to get a personal tour of the books. The app offers users the opportunity to examine original manuscript material and discover additional video content from the series. This is the first OU/BBC co-produced app and is available to download after the first episode from http://www.open.edu/openlearn/secret-life-books.
Those contributing their thoughts in interviews across the series include theatre and film director Sam Mendes; writer and literary critic Terry Eagleton; Director of the National Theatre, Nicholas Hytner; and writer and 18th-century literature expert Professor John Mullen.
Cassian Harrison, Channel Editor for BBC Four, said: “The Secret Life Of Books is a celebration of some of the most influential works of fiction in the world. We’ve gathered together six incredibly interesting writers and performers to offer us their own deeply personal take on famous and much-loved classics.”
Simon Russell Beale examines Shakespeare’s First Folio of plays; Dr. Alexandra Harris celebrates Virginia Woolf’s Mrs Dalloway; Bidisha asks awkward questions of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre; Cerys Matthews explores the amazing collection of medieval Welsh tales, the Mabinogion; and Professor Alice Roberts explores Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.
The Secret Life Of Books (6x30) was commissioned by Cassian Harrison, Channel Editor for BBC Four and Mark Bell, Head of Arts Commissioning. The Executive Producer is Richard Bright and the Series Producer is Allan Campbell, both for the BBC. The Series was commissioned for The Open University by Caroline Ogilvie, Head of Broadcast. The University’s Academic Consultant for the programmes was Professor Nicola Watson.
The first episode, which aired yesterday, is available here.
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