Between the Covers is a BBC talk show hosted by Sara Cox in which guest stars talk about their favourite books, alongside other book picks as well.
In March 2024, a Between The Covers Live! Tour was announced. The initial run of shows would have show dates in London, Oxford, Nottingham, Birmingham, Reading and Brighton and would feature Jo Brand, Kacey Ainsworth, Stephen Mangan, and Joseph O'Connor. The tour would be hosted by the TV series executive producer, Amanda Ross.
Episodes
Series One (2020) Sara Cox talks to guest stars about their favourite books as well as a book of the week pick from 2020, and a book written by one of the guests. These books are:
Book of the Week Pick (From 2020)
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig Love After Love by Ingrid Persaud Fifty-Fifty by Steve Cavanagh This Lovely City by Louise Hare Small Pleasures by Clare Chambers Love in Colour: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold by Bolu Babalola The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton
Book Written By a Guest
Sex Power Money (2019) by Sara Pascoe The Thursday Murder Club (2020) by Richard Osman Love and Other Thought Experiments (2020) by Sophie Ward To Be a Gay Man (2020) by Will Young Just Ignore Him (2020) by Alan Davies The Corner Shop (2019) by Babita Sharma Home Stretch (2020) by Graham Norton
No.Guest StarsDirected byOriginal air date1Sara Pascoe, Tom Allen, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, and Phil Wang Toby Baker Jonathan Stow (videotape director)9 October 2020First episode. Books chosen by the guests are Americanah (2013) by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Sara Pascoe),Tales of the City (1978) by Armistead Maupin (Tom Allen), Hangover Square (1941) by Patrick Hamilton (Sophie Ellis-Bextor), and The Iliad (ca. 8th century B.C.E.) by Homer (Phil Wang). The Book of the Week Pick from 2020 is The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, and the book written by a guest is Sex Power Money (2019) by Sara Pascoe.2Richard Osman, Ricky Wilson, Ellie Taylor, and Lolly Adefope Toby Baker Jonathan Stow (videotape director)16 October 2020Books chosen by the guests are Life After Life (2013) by Kate Atkinson (Richard Osman), Born Standing Up: A Comic’s Life (2007) by Steve Martin (Ricky Wilson), Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997) by J.K. Rowling (Ellie Taylor), and The First Bad Man (2015) by Miranda July (Lolly Adefope). The Book of the Week Pick from 2020 is Love After Love by Ingrid Persaud, and the book written by a guest is The Thursday Murder Club (2020) by Richard Osman.3Ade Adepitan, Rebecca Front, Bill Bailey, and Sophie Ward Toby Baker Jonathan Stow (videotape director)23 October 2020Books chosen by the guests are Half of a Yellow Sun (2006) by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Ade Adepitan), The Wind in the Willows (1908) by Kenneth Grahame (Rebecca Front), A Confederacy of Dunces (1980) by John Kennedy Toole (Bill Bailey), and Dusty Answer (1927) by Rosamond Lehmann (Sophie Ward). The Book of the Week Pick from 2020 is Fifty-Fifty by Steve Cavanagh, and the book written by a guest is Love and Other Thought Experiments Club (2020) by Sophie Ward.4Andi Osho, Jo Brand, Will Young, and Ade Edmondson Toby Baker Jonathan Stow (videotape director)30 October 2020Books chosen by the guests are Red Dwarf (1989) by Grant Naylor (Andi Osho), The Ragged-Trousered Philanthropists (1914) by Robert Tressell (Jo Brand), Lord of the Rings (1954 - 1955) by J. R. R. Tolkien (Will Young), and War and Peace (1867) by Leo Tolstoy (Ade Edmondson). The Book of the Week Pick from 2020 is This Lovely City by Louise Hare, and the book written by a guest is To Be a Gay Man (2020) by Will Young.5Anita Rani, Laura Whitmore, Alan Davies, and Russell Kane Toby Baker Jonathan Stow (videotape director)6 November 2020Books chosen by the guests are The Master and Margarita (1966) by Mikhail Bulgakov (Anita Rani), Matilda (1988) by Roald Dahl (Laura Whitmore), The Sellout (2015) by Paul Beatty (Alan Davies), and Madame Bovary (1856) by Gustave Flaubert (Russell Kane). The Book of the Week Pick from 2020 is Small Pleasures by Clare Chambers, and the book written by a guest is Just Ignore Him (2020) by Alan Davies.6Meera Syal, Babita Sharma, Guvna B, and Dave Gorman Toby Baker Jonathan Stow (videotape director)13 November 2020Books chosen by the guests are Beloved (1987) by Toni Morrison (Meera Syal and Babita Sharma), The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry (2019) by John Mark Comer (Guvna B), and Who on Earth is Tom Baker? An Autobiography (1997) by Tom Baker (Dave Gorman). The Book of the Week Pick from 2020 is Love in Colour: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold by Bolu Babalola, and the book written by a guest is The Corner Shop (2020) by Babita Sharma.7Desiree Burch, Graham Norton, Grace Dent, and Ben Miller Toby Baker Jonathan Stow (videotape director)20 November 2020Books chosen by the guests are Dietland (2015) by Sarai Walker (Desiree Burch), The Other Side of the Bridge (2006) by Mary Lawson (Graham Norton), Fleishman is in Trouble (2019) by Taffy Brodesser-Akner (Grace Dent), and The Three-Body Problem (2008) by Cixin Liu (Ben Miller). The Book of the Week Pick from 2020 is The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton, and the book written by a guest is Home Stretch (2020) by Graham Norton.
Series Two (2021) Sara Cox talks to guest stars about their favourite books as well as a book recently published in 2021, and a popular book from 2020. These books are:
2021 The Fine Art of Invisible Detection by Robert Goddard Should We Fall Behind by Sharon Duggal Sixteen Horses by Greg Buchanan Another Life by Jodie Chapman The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward The Frequency of Us by Keith Stuart
2020 The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett The Lying Life of Adults by Elena Ferrante The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré Agent Running in the Field by John le Carré Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart
No.Guest StarsDirected byOriginal air date1Mel Giedroyc, Griff Rhys Jones, Oti Mabuse, and Rick EdwardsToby Baker10 May 2021Books chosen by the guests are Les Misérables (1862) by Victor Hugo (Mel Giedroyc), One Two Three Four: The Beatles in Time (2020) by Craig Brown (Griff Rhys Jones), Think Like A Monk (2020) by Jay Shetty (Oti Mabuse), and Other Minds: The Octopus and the Evolution of Intelligent Life (2017) by Peter Godfrey-Smith (Rick Edwards). The recently published book from 2021 is The Fine Art of Invisible Detection by Robert Goddard, and the popular book from 2020 is The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett.2Vick Hope, Rob Delaney, Rick Stein and Rachel ParrisToby Baker17 May 2021Books chosen by the guests are Swing Time (2016) by Zadie Smith (Vick Hope), A Manual for Cleaning Women (2015) by Lucia Berlin (Rob Delaney), The Leopard (1958) by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa (Rick Stein), and The Name of the Wind (2007) by Patrick Rothfuss (Rachel Parris). The recently published book from 2021 is Should We Fall Behind by Sharon Duggal, and the popular book from 2020 is The Lying Life of Adults by Elena Ferrante.3Phil Davis, Katherine Ryan, Adjoa Andoh and David BaddielToby Baker24 May 2021Books chosen by the guests are Great Expectations (1861) by Charles Dickens (Phil Davis), Everybody Died, So I Got a Dog (2019) by Emily Dean (Katherine Ryan), Plainsong (1999) by Kent Haruf (Adjoa Andoh), and Emma (1815) by Jane Austen (David Baddiel). The recently published book from 2021 is Sixteen Horses by Greg Buchanan, and the popular book from 2020 is The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré.4Hugh Dennis, Don Warrington, Zoe Lyons and Giovanna FletcherToby Baker31 May 2021Books chosen by the guests are Jemima J (2000) by Jane Green (Giovanna Fletcher), The Mandibles (2016) by Lionel Shriver (Zoe Lyons), The Fire Next Time (1963) by James Baldwin (Don Warrington), and One Hundred Years of Solitude (1967) by Gabriel García Márquez (Hugh Dennis). The recently published book from 2021 is Another Life by Jodie Chapman, and the popular book from 2020 is Agent Running in the Field by John le Carré.5Nish Kumar, Stacey Dooley, Caitlin Moran and Robert WebbToby Baker7 June 2021Books chosen by the guests are A Little Life (2015) by Hanya Yanagihara (Nish Kumar), Home Body (2020) by Rupi Kaur (Stacey Dooley), How to be a Medieval Woman (1438) by Margery Kempe (Caitlin Moran) and Waterland (1983) by Graham Swift (Robert Webb). The recently published book from 2021 is The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward, and the popular book from 2020 is Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell.6Ranvir Singh, Micky Flanagan, Reginald D. Hunter and Sophie WillanToby Baker15 June 2021Books chosen by the guests are The Moonstone (1868) by Wilkie Collins (Ranvir Singh), Glue (2001) by Irvine Welsh (Micky Flanagan), The Joke (1967) by Milan Kundera (Reginald D. Hunter) and Planet Young (2009) by Gerry Potter (Sophie Willan). The recently published book from 2021 is The Frequency of Us by Keith Stuart, and the popular book from 2020 is Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart.
Series Three (2021) Sara Cox talks to guest stars about their favourite books as well as a new book from 2021 and a Booker Prize backlist gem. These books are:
2021 Sorrow And Bliss by Meg Mason The Coward by Jarred McGinnis Still Life by Sarah Winman Ascension by Oliver Harris Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan Sankofa by Chibundu Onuzo
Booker Prize backlist gems Good Behaviour (1981) by Molly Keane The Bookshop (1978) by Penelope Fitzgerald Exit West (2017) by Mohsin Hamid The Garden of Evening Mists (2011) by Tan Twan Eng Fingersmith (2002) by Sarah Waters The Secret Scripture (2008) by Sebastian Barry