Watson plays Meg in Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of the book, but admits that she naturally identifies more with the character of Jo (played by Saoirse Ronan). The film follows Jo’s journey as a burgeoning author, as she pushes to gain copyright to her novel in a male-dominated world.

Much has changed since then. And yet it’s striking that – nearly two hundred years later – women such as Taylor Swift are still struggling to assert ownership of their own work.

“It’s about believing in yourself and knowing your worth and owning your worth,” Watson tells Variety magazine.

“Right now, the Taylor Swift situation is a great example of, you know, you’re young and you’re talented and someone wants to buy your work, but having ownership at the end of the day is super, super important because you don’t know what someone’s going to decide to do with that.”

Emma Watson’s epic defence of Taylor Swift is a masterclass in feminism