All of us at Silksoundbooks, like many people around the world, were very much saddened to hear of the death of Lynn Redgrave on Sunday. She was one of those great actresses that had the ability, through the openness and intense believability of her style, to make you feel very close to her. From her iconic performance in the 1960s hit movie Georgie Girl to her Oscar nominated role in Gods and Monsters she has been at the very top of her profession, but seemed to retain a humility and sense of proportion that made her remarkable.

We had our own greatly appreciated chance to work with her, when she recorded an unabridged audio book of Northanger Abbey for us. Amidst preparations for a Broadway opening she agreed to come into a studio in Manhattan for the recording, as she said she loved Jane Austen that much! Naturally she read it superbly – in record time we might add – and that wit and lightly arch clarity for which she was so famed achieved what few others could do – to make Austen’s great melodramatic spoof both very funny and extremely touching.

Lynn Redgrave OBE is going to be badly missed.