MASTERPIECE Launches Book Club
One of our favorite television programs, PBS’s MASTERPIECE, recently launched a book club for book-loving fans. The MASTERPIECE Book Club will host exciting features for popular programs such as Downton Abbey and Sherlock. Features will include recommended reading related to current MASTERPIECE shows, insights into what cast and crew are reading, related recipes perfect for a book club meeting, British book news, and much more.
In one feature, Downton Abbey creator, writer, and executive producer Julian Fellowes selects books that Downton Abbey aficionados will enjoy. Other Downton Abbey-related highlights include a literary look back at the different eras of Downton Abbey, a round-up of the official companion titles, and recommendations from several celebrity fans. Downton Abbey is a Carnival Films/MASTERPIECE Co-Production.
Sherlock enthusiasts will get reading inspiration from Sherlock co-creator and actor Mark Gatiss, who reveals his favorite Sir Arthur Conan Doyle stories and the mystery authors he reads most. Sherlock book club features also include a list of titles to make anyone a Sherlock Holmes expert and cookbooks from bestselling mystery authors. Sherlock is produced by Hartswood Films for BBC One and co-produced by MASTERPIECE.
MASTERPIECE Executive Producer Rebecca Eaton noted, “As a lifelong bookworm and drama lover, It is such a pleasure to launch The MASTERPIECE Book Club. Great books and storytelling are at the very heart of MASTERPIECE, and the book club will be a fantastic new way for our viewers to immerse themselves in the worlds our programs create.”
Julian Fellowes photo by Nick Briggs
It was indeed a fascinating discussion with a delightful group. Our Mutual Friend was so much fun to read and so hard to put down that it was a treat to think deliberately about it for those 15 hours. The variety of perspectives among our group on the psychology and motivations of the characters was fascinating. I especially enjoyed Nancy’s questions about tests of character and relationships posed in the plot, who failed the tests, who surpassed them, and why. It was a wonderful week at Toronto Pursuits.
Nancy, this is a great note on Classical Pursuits, which I encourage all to consider attending, as well as on Dickens and the Shared Enquiry (TM) approach more generally. I remember with such fondness our consideration last year of that greatest of all (OK, well almost all) books, Middlemarch. The book, the July in Toronto, your leadership, and reading and discussion in general – all very highly recommended. I look forward to Classical Pursuits next July!!
Thank you, Jess! I’ve learned a great deal from participants at Classical Pursuits over the years, and I look forward to it each summer.