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13.12.03

FACTUAL & ARTS TV

Lord of the Rings revealed as Nation's Favourite Book

The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien has been voted the UK's favourite novel in The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Big Read.

As part of the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's continued commitment to celebrating and encouraging reading, a free copy of the winning novel will be sent to every secondary school in the UK.

In a live broadcast on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ TWO from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, host Clive Anderson tonight (Saturday 13 December) revealed that the public had voted overwhelmingly in support of The Lord of the Rings as their best-loved book.

The top five novels in The Big Read Top 21, as voted for by the public, are:
1. The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien
2. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
3. His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
4. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
5. Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling

750,000 votes have been received for The Big Read Top 21 since they were announced in a special reveal programme on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ TWO on Saturday 18 October.

Of these 21 novels, The Lord of the Rings received 23% of the votes.

Pride and Prejudice and His Dark Materials received 18.1% and 8.4% respectively.

Simon Tolkien, the authorΒ’s grandson, his wife Tracy and son Nicholas, and Ray Mears, who championed the novel for the series, were all present at The Big Read Final.

They expressed their delight that The Lord of the Rings had been chosen by the public as their best-loved book.

Simon Tolkien says: "It is an unbelievable honour to be here today... and I think it would mean an enormous amount to my grandfather.

"Just before The Lord of the Rings was published, my grandfather said, 'I'm dreading publication for it will be impossible not to mind what is said. I have exposed my heart to be shot at'.

"There has been a lot of shooting, but there has also been enormous love and I think this has come through today. It is a wonderful moment."

The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ has brokered an ambitious deal with the publisher and distributor of the winning novel to send a free copy of the nation's favourite book to every secondary school in the UK.

HarperCollins, the publishers involved, commented: "HarperCollins are delighted to work with the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ on this exciting initiative.

"The Big Read has been enormously positive in terms of generating interest in reading. It has encouraged debate and discussion and brought a lot of new readers to some great books."

Jane Root, Controller of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ TWO, said: "Our ambition for The Big Read was to excite people of all ages about a wide variety of literature from favourite children's books to classic reads to fantasy novels.

"Over the past year, hundreds of schools and many thousands of students throughout the UK have taken part in Big Read activities and we're delighted that we're able to reward their enthusiasm with this unique donation.

"Sending one free copy of The Lord of the Rings to all secondary schools means every young person in the country will have access to the book which the British people have claimed as their best-loved novel of all time.

"We hope that through their engagement with this one book, many young people will discover the magic of fiction, and go on to be life-long lovers of literature."

Notes to Editors

Ιω For the latest information on The Big Read, visit the website at .

Ιω One copy of The Lord of the Rings will be distributed to every UK secondary school.

Ιω The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ launched The Big Read in April 2003 when the public were asked to nominate their favourite book.

This determined The Big Read Top 100, announced, in alphabetical order, in The Big Read Top 100 Revealed on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ TWO, 17 May 2003.

The Big Read Top 21 novels were revealed on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ TWO on Saturday 18 October.

Ιω Voting Rules Β– full details of the voting rules are available on The Big Read website ().

Ιω The Big Read Top 21 novels, in ranking order, with authors and the books' champions, are:

Previous releases

The Big Read - last few days (11.12.03)

Leeds United sign up to the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's Big Read (05.12.03)

The Big Read Top 21 Revealed (18.10.03)

The Big Read - the search for Britain's best-loved novel enters its final chapter (02.10.03)

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)

Freeview offers the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's eight television channels, interactive services from Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔi, as well as 11 national Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ radio networks.

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