Sebastian Faulks for BBC 'Novel' series

Sebastian Faulks has signed up to front a new BBC Two series called The Secret Life Of The Novel.

The four-part documentary, which looks at the history of the novel through its characters, is expected to arrive in spring 2010, with production slated to begin later this year.

Throughout the series, Faulks, whose novels include 'A Fool's Alphabet' and 'Charlotte Gray', will journey around the country, offering his personal knowledge of characterisation to get under the skin of some familiar and not so familiar characters of British literature.

"Sebastian is an insider, a novelist with a real understanding of the craft," said commissioning editor Mark Bell. "Booking him to front a four-part series on BBC Two about how characterisation works is really exciting. It demonstrates the type of bold arts programming the BBC is committed to delivering."