Carty-Williams and Ali selected for BBC's Between the Covers

Books by Candice Carty-Williams, Monica Ali and Philip Gray are to feature on BBC Two’s book club programme "Between The Covers", which is returning for a fourth season hosted by Sara Cox.

The seven-part series will see four famous guests bring along their own book of choice and discuss a newly-published book club title. They will also have a conversation about a book selected from the Big Jubilee Read, a reading for pleasure campaign spearheaded by BBC Arts and The Reading Agency that celebrates great reads from across the Commonwealth to coincide with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. 

Kicking off the new season in May will be Carty-Williams’ second novel People Person (Trapeze), followed by Gray’s historical thriller Two Storm Wood (Harvill Secker). Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (Transworld), Ali’s long-awaited "exploration of the psychology of relationships", Love Marriage (Virago), and Metronome by Tom Watson (Bloomsbury) will also feature. Finishing off the season will be Exactly What You Mean by debut novelist Ben Hinshaw (Viking) and Freya Berry’s debut The Dictator’s Wife (Headline Review).

"I’m absolutely thrilled we are once again delving between the covers, bringing another selection of seven brilliant brand new books as well as spanning the decades with seven books by talented authors from across the Commonwealth to celebrate the jubilee," said author and comedian Cox. "On a personal note, it still brings me endless joy that drinking tea and eating custard creams while curled up with good book is considered ’work’. Bring it on."

The exact broadcast date, celebrity guests and seven Big Jubilee Read picks will be revealed in the coming weeks. 

Amanda Ross, c.e.o. of Cactus TV, who heads the book selection panel, said: "I’m really excited by our seven new book picks and can’t wait to see what everyone makes of them. They are all incredibly entertaining in completely different genres, so hopefully we will inspire everyone to try something they wouldn’t ordinarily read. ’Between the Covers’ is my passion project, my ultimate dream show."

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