Sara Cox gets Between the Covers

Sara Cox clearly believes in putting her money where her mouth is.

She’s been presenting Between the Covers, BBC Two’s literary series, since 2020, but rather than simply offering her views on the books featured on the programme, she decided to write her own.

She wasn’t a novice when it came to writing – Cox published her autobiography, Till the Cows Come Home, in 2019 – but Thrown, which came out last year, was her first foray into fiction. Inspired by her time as the host of The Great Pottery Throw Down, it’s the tale of four women who meet while taking part in a pottery class at their local community centre.

However, she’s keen to point out that she won’t be using Between the Covers to publicise her own work.

“One of my guests mentioned it and I did the equivalent of a hedgehog rolling in a ball and just disappearing,” she laughs.

Like many authors, Cox has a garden office where she writes, and where her husband, advertising executive Ben Cyzer, pays her little visits – which, it seems, are not always welcome: “He’d come in for office banter, but when you’re writing you can’t dip in and out of it. You really have to lose yourself in it.”

She’s been ‘losing’ herself again recently – a second novel is on its way, and she’s hoping more will follow.

“I’d love this to be a thing, if I can,” she says of writing. “It’s so different to everything else I do.”

But for now, Cox is returning to her day job of presenting – the sixth series of Behind the Covers begins this week.

For the uninitiated, Cox is joined in each edition by four famous faces who bring with them one of their favourite books of all time, which they then wax lyrical about to their fellow guests.

The programmes also feature a review section where the whole panel discusses the book of the week, which is described by a recorded clip of the author explaining their work. Six featured books are chosen for the series by the editorial team in conjunction with literary consultants who are not affiliated to any publisher.

The show was launched during lockdown when many of us began reading more than ever, but even now, when we’re all out and about again, it’s still going strong.

“It’s a joy to be able to shine a light on great books, with great company from the entertaining panels that we know will inspire more people to read for fun,” claims Cox. “I’m getting funny looks on public transport from laughing, gasping and sobbing as I bury myself in the magnificent books we’ve chosen. Get ready to reinforce your bookshelves and curl up with the cat as another pile of great books is coming your way!”

Her guests in the first episode are broadcaster Angela Scanlon, DJ Spoony, barrister-turned-author Rob Rinder and musician Cerys Matthews. They’ll be speaking about their personal favourites, as well as In The Blink of an Eye by Jo Callaghan, and Hannah Kent’s Iceland-set Burial Rites, the first of a selection of books set in Europe to help celebrate Eurovision.