Sense And Sensibility audiobook sees 80% uplift in Spotify listens ahead of film

The audiobook of Jane Austen’s Sense And Sensibility has seen an 80% increase in Spotify listening hours ahead of the release of a new film adaption.

The streaming service said the increase took place over the last month, with the story also seeing a 360% increase from the week commencing June 15 to the week commencing September 14 this year.

Spotify books editor Roshni Radia, said: “Ahead of Friday’s film release of Sense And Sensibility, UK listeners are going back to the original.

“Weekly listeners to the audiobook on Spotify have grown by more than 360% since the start of the summer, while listening hours have jumped 80% in the last month alone.

Esme Creed-Miles, Daisy Edgar-Jones and Bodhi Rae Breathnach at the world premiere of Sense and Sensibility (Ian West/PA)

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“We’re seeing a lovely trend where big screen adaptations aren’t replacing the books – they’re creating a whole new wave of fandom around them.

“A film or series can be the spark that sends people back to the original story, discovering it for the first time or falling in love with it all over again through audio.

“And while you’d expect Austen’s audience to skew female, it’s younger listeners driving a significant part of that renewed interest, with women aged 25–34 accounting for 40% of UK listeners.

“For us, it feels like the latest evolution of fandom on Spotify, watch the adaptation, listen to the book, go deeper into the story and characters you love.”

The 1995 film starred Dame Emma Thompson (Matt Crossick/PA)

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Sense And Sensibility tells the story of three sisters who experience love and heartbreak after they are forced to leave their family estate with their widowed mother and move to a small cottage.

The new film comes more than three decades after the 1995 Ang Lee movie which starred Dame Emma Thompson, and won the actress the Academy Award for best screenplay adaptation.