BBC's Between the Covers series reveals further book choices and guest line-up

BBC show "Between the Covers" has revealed further books that will be discussed in the new series, alongside unveiling a line-up of guests including Richard Osman, Sir Trevor McDonald, Mel Giedroyc and Richard E Grant.

Hosted by Sara Cox, the seven-part series returns to BBC Two on 11th May at 7.30 p.m. In each episode, four famous guests will bring along their own book of choice and discuss a newly-published title alongside a pick from the Big Jubilee Read list.

The Big Jubilee Read is a reading for pleasure campaign spearheaded by BBC Arts and the Reading Agency, celebrating reads from across the Commonwealth, to coincide with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. It features 70 titles consisting of 10 books from each decade of the monarch’s reign, chosen by a panel of librarians, booksellers and literature specialists. 

From that list, the production team chose one from each decade. They start with 1992’s The English Patient by Sri Lankan-born Canadian author Michael Ondaatje (Bloomsbury Classics), followed by Trinidad-born writer Sam Selvon’s 1956 novel The Lonely Londoners (Penguin Modern Classics) and Arrow of God, the 1964 novel by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe (Penguin Modern Classics).

Canadian Margaret Atwood’s 1985 book The Handmaid’s Tale (Vintage) is also selected alongside Australian author Kare Grenville’s 2005 book The Secret River (Canongate Canons), Malaysia’s Yangsze Choo with her 2019 book The Night Tiger (Quercus), and Pakistan author Bapsi Sidhwa’s 1978 novel The Crow Eaters (Daunt Books).

Those selections join a previously announced list of newly released books featuring Candice Carty-Williams’ People Person (Trapeze), Philip Gray’s Two Storm Wood (Harvill Secker), Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (Transworld), Monica Ali’s Love Marriage (Virago), Metronome by Tom Watson (Bloomsbury), Exactly What You Mean by Ben Hinshaw (Viking) and Freya Berry’s debut The Dictator’s Wife (Headline Review).

Other guests confirmed for the new series are David Morrissey, Vick Hope, Peter Davison, Sarah Hadland, Deborah Meaden, Jo Brand, Darren Harriott, Neil Morrissey, Nina Wadia, Kate Bottley, Emeli Sandé, Jordan North, Rhys Stephenson, Deborah Frances-White, Adrian Scarborough, Jen Brister, Catherine Bohart, Colin Salmon, Dan Smith, Cariad Lloyd, Katy Wix, Pierre Novellie, Stephen Bailey and Sukh Ojla.

The 14 selected books featured in the series will be labelled with "Between the Covers" stickers in shops, libraries and online, while people can join in the social media conversation with the hashtag #BetweenTheCovers.

"Between the Covers" was commissioned by Emma Cahusac, BBC Arts commissioning editor. It was created and produced by Cactus TV, executive produced by Amanda Ross with series producer Pollyanne Conway.

Ross, c.e.o. of Cactus TV, said: “This is a sparkling, joyful series, full of some of our best recommendations to date, championed by brilliant panels. I can’t wait to hear what the viewers think of the brilliant books we’ve chosen. My ‘to be read pile’ is groaning with these fabulous guests’ books.”