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Press Releases & Press Packs

02.10.03

FACTUAL & ARTS TV

The Big Read - the search for Britain's best-loved novel enters its final chapter

Press pack available

"It's always exciting to see how passionate and argumentative people can get about books," says series presenter Clive Anderson.

"But the thing about The Big Read is that it's not just literary heavyweights slugging it out – it's anybody who cares enough to vote for their favourite book."

The search for Britain's best-loved novel enters its final chapter as The Big Read heads towards a literary showdown this autumn.

Clive Anderson hosts the nine-part celebration of the country's favourite fiction, starting in October on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ TWO.

In the first programme of the series, Clive counts down The Big Read Top 100 – compiled earlier this year after 140,000 people nominated their best-loved novel – from numbers 100 to 22, before revealing the most popular 21 novels in random order.

He then presents seven weekly programmes, each featuring three novels from the shortlist.

Over the course of the series, the 21 works of fiction, each championed by a celebrity advocate, compete for the public's votes.

Anderson summarises the arguments and follows the voting as the books vie for the title of the Nation's Favourite Book.

The public will be able to vote for their best-loved novel in the Top 21 by phone, text, digital television or internet.

• Telephone: 0901 522 9000 (calls cost 15p)

• SMS Text: 86200 (by texting the title of the chosen novel – calls cost 12p)

• Interactive TV: By pressing the red button on the remote

• Internet:

The Big Read is one of the biggest-ever campaigns to get the country reading. There has already been innovative programming throughout the year on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ TWO and across all Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ networks, particularly Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ FOUR and Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Local Radio, as well as extensive activity on the dedicated Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔi website.

The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ is also harnessing the support of schools, libraries, national literacy organisations and charities, and all major publishers and book retailers to make the project a truly national event.

Jane Root, Controller of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ TWO, says: "It's incredible how The Big Read has taken off this summer with debate, discussion and a heightened interest in reading.

"Book sales of the Top 100 have dramatically increased and libraries, schools and education institutions have all become involved in the campaign with a raft of activities aimed at promoting reading.

"The Big Read has become much more than a television programme – it's an event that anyone can become involved in. And the really exciting thing is, it's only just beginning."

On 17 May, The Big Read database was launched. This database of events in Britain enables the public to find out about everything book-related happening in their area.

Since its launch, there have been 49,000 searches. The database is accessed via the website () or the freephone action line (08000 150 950).

Working with The Reading Agency, all 4,200 libraries have signed up to support The Big Read campaign and events and displays have been taking place throughout the summer and will continue until Christmas.

The range of events include: 'sandwiched between books' sessions in libraries in Derbyshire – lunchtime drop-ins to discuss Big Read novels; 'Truckers Tales' in Hertfordshire on 8 September – a Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Three Counties Radio broadcast from Toddington Service Station, where local mobile libraries handed out 'breakfast menu' booklists from the Top 100 to lorry drivers; and, in Caerphilly, displays and staff previews around the Top 100 books have become a regular library feature.

With help from the National Literacy Trust (NLT), the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ has been taking The Big Read into schools and further education institutions.

Over 18,000 Big Read teaching packs have been downloaded from the NLT website () so far, and a new set of resources will be available online to coincide with the autumn programming. (The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ is not responsible for the content of external internet sites)

Monday 8 September was the NLT's Swap A Book Day when workplaces, schools, colleges and libraries were encouraged to link events with The Big Read, swapping favourites from the Top 100 novels and sharing recommendations.

The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ has been helping readers around the country start (or continue) their own book clubs.

Fifteen hundred reading groups have registered on The Big Read database and there have been 80,000 downloads of the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ reading group pack (), The Little Guide To Big Reading, which contains handy tips and advice about setting up a book club.

Booktrust, supported by Arts Council England, are running Bookscapes as part of The Big Read. They have appointed Readers in Residence to work with a diverse range of groups, including commuters on the Newcastle Metro and staff and customers from an Indian restaurant in Bradford, to elicit their responses to some of the Top 100 books.

Over the summer, The Big Read was out and about at some of the season's most memorable literary events, designed to get people talking – and arguing! – about the Top 100 books.

These included events at the Hay Literature Festival, The Edinburgh International Book Festival and a programme of events during the summer at The British Library – 10 weeks of writers, critics, TV presenters and broadcasters discussing the Top 100 books, all open to the public.

On Saturday 11 October, The Big Read will be at the Cheltenham Festival of Literature. Tony Benn, Kate Adie and Robert Harris will be joining James Naughtie to discuss their own favourite novels and why they value them so much.

Bookshops around the country have been supporting The Big Read with in-store displays, and they have reported a noticeable – and positive – effect on book sales since The Big Read launched. For example, 10 times more copies of Love In The Time Of Cholera were being sold in the month after the Top 100 was revealed.

Notes to Editors

For the latest on The Big Read - go to the Factual & Arts TV page.

The Big Read press pack is available below in , as a complete pack or in sections.

You may require Adobe Acrobat Software to read PDF files which can be obtained .

The Big Read press pack in full (422 KB)

Series presenter Clive Anderson (100 KB)

The Big Read Top 100 (67 KB)

The voting rules for the Top 21 (63 KB)

Related press releases

British novels dominate public's top 100 (17.05.03)

The Big Read television special to reveal Nation's Top 100 books (16.04.03)

The Big Read - Britain's biggest ever reading campaign (14.03.03)

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