Beautiful, clever, rich - and single - Emma Woodhouse is perfectly content with her life and sees no need for either love or marriage. Nothing, however, delights her more than interfering in the romantic lives of others.

But when she ignores the warnings of her good friend Mr Knightley and attempts to arrange a suitable match for her protégée Harriet Smith, her carefully laid plans soon unravel and have consequences that she never expected. With its imperfect but charming heroine and its witty and subtle exploration of relationships, Emma is often seen as Jane Austen's most flawless work.

The collection draws inspiration from the original Cranford series, which was published by Macmillan and Co. between 1876 and 1907. This earlier series is renowned for its decorative gilt designs and high-quality bindings, and for vintage book collectors it is a cherished part of literary history. The RBA collection revives this legacy by reinterpreting classic Victorian works with a modern touch.