Jane Austen commemorative stamps go on sale

The artwork by illustrator Angela Barrett features characters from Mansfield Park, Sense and Sensibility, Emma, Northanger Abbey, Persuasion and, of course, Pride and Prejudice. Letters posted from Steventon and Chawton - the Hampshire villages where the author was born and lived - will receive a special postmark for a week, featuring the Pride and Prejudice quote, "Do anything rather than marry without affection".

Royal Mail Stamps spokesperson, Andrew Hammonds, said: "When you think of great British authors, Jane Austen inevitably comes to mind. Her novels have contributed immeasurably to British culture over the last two centuries. New generations continue to fall in love with her work through television and film adaptations, as well as, of course, the books themselves.

"It is therefore an honour for Royal Mail to commemorate her work with this special set of stamps and fitting that it falls during the 200th anniversary celebrations of Pride and Prejudice, her most famous masterpiece."

The set - which is available from today - contains two first class stamps (Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility), two priced at 77p (Mansfield Park and Emma) and two worth £1.28 (Northanger Abbey and Persuasion).

RadioTimes.com's keen eye has spotted that the £1.28 stamps appear to celebrate Pride and Prejudice's first publication date 28 January 1913 (1/28), but according to the Royal Mail press office it's purely coincidental and has "no relation to the cost" of the set.

The stamps are available online at www.royalmail.com/janeausten or by phone on 08457 641 641.