Books by Mantel, Evaristo and Atwood among 70 Big Jubilee Read choices

Books by authors such as Bernardine Evaristo, Margaret Atwood and Hilary Mantel have been listed among 70 titles as part of The Reading Agency and BBC’s Big Jubilee Read campaign. 

Taking 10 iconic books from each decade of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign, the organisers say the campaign will enable readers to engage in the discovery and celebration of great books, while shining a spotlight on lesser-known works and authors deserving greater recognition. 

It includes Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale (Vintage), Evaristo’s Booker-winning Girl Woman Other (Hamish Hamilton) and Mantel’s Wolf Hall (Fourth Estate).

The list was chosen by an expert panel of librarians, booksellers and literature specialists from a “readers’ choice” longlist. Also featured are E R Braithwaite’s To Sir, With Love (Vintage), Anthony Burgess’ A Clockwork Orange (Penguin Classics), John le Carré’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (Penguin Modern Classics), Seamus Heaney’s Death of a Naturalist (Faber), Marlon James’ The Book of Night Women (Oneworld) and Andrea Levy’s Small Island (Tinder Press).

The campaign is being delivered in partnership with BBC Arts and The Reading Agency. It received funding of £185,000 from Arts Council England and is supported by Libraries Connected and the Booksellers Association. 

Karen Napier, c.e.o. of The Reading Agency, said: “We’re thrilled to be partnering with BBC to celebrate the proven power of reading at this historic moment of national celebration. The Reading Agency hugely values the support of our library partners bringing this fantastic book list to life in the heart of communities across the country this summer." 

Delivered with public libraries, reading groups, publishers, bookshops, and authors, the Big Jubilee Read campaign will be supported by events and activities in libraries and bookshops. Resources for reading groups have also been made available. 

There will be programming about the campaign across the BBC, including on BBC Two’s "Between the Covers" and BBC Radio 4’s "Front Row". 

Suzy Klein, head of arts and classical music TV at the BBC, said: “The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee feels like the perfect opportunity to foreground some of the greatest writing from across the Commonwealth in our Big Jubilee Read. It’s a really exciting way to share the love of books with readers of all ages, and to give book groups and book borrowers a plethora of great titles to try, borrow, share and discuss.”