The Joy of Books

Joe Wicks, aka The Body Coach, kept the nation moving through lockdown. In this episode of The Joy of Books from the National Literacy Trust, he tells Gaby Huddart about the books that helped him through a difficult childhood and the ones that have shaped the dad he is today.Joe talks openly about growing up with a mum who struggled with OCD and anxiety and a dad who was addicted to heroin. School was his safe place, but he wasn't a reader. Even so, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory got his imagination going, and Of Mice and Men was the first book to move him to tears. Later, Anthony Kiedis's Scar Tissue gave him hope about addiction and recovery. Kate Silverton's There's No Such Thing as Naughty taught him to be "the wise owl" rather than shout, and he says it changed his life.Joe has read 15 books in the past year. He talks about Empire of Pain, Careless People, Supremacy and Ultra-Processed People, the book that led to his Channel 4 documentary. He also explains the daily 6pm "phone-free dad" alarm that makes time for bedtime stories. Along the way, he reads from Roald Dahl, shares two poems tied to his dad's recovery, Footprints in the Sand and The Serenity Prayer, and reads out a shark-filled story by his six-year-old son Marley.Joe is an ambassador for the National Literacy Trust's Go All In campaign for the National Year of Reading 2026. He talks about rediscovering his local library, his Burpee Bears children's books and his new family cookbook, Healthy Start. It's a warm, funny and honest conversation about how reading can change a life at any age.

Broadcaster Sophie Raworth joins Gaby Huddart on The Joy of Books to share the stories that have made her laugh, helped her through loss and kept her turning the pages — even on a 20-mile run.From childhood memories of her father reading The Hobbit to the treasured books her grandmother gave her, Sophie reflects on a lifelong love of reading. She reveals why Lessons in Chemistry made her laugh out loud, how Lonesome Dove sparked an unexpected obsession with cowboys, and why When the Cranes Fly South moved her so deeply after her father’s death.Plus, Sophie discusses her debut memoir, Running on Air, and the surprising connections between running marathons, presenting the news and finding the confidence to keep going. Expect heartfelt recommendations, much-loved childhood poetry and a story about diving with a young Jason Statham.

What do Sherlock Holmes, a childhood copy of The Wind in the Willows and a late-night reading habit have to do with becoming a space scientist?In the first episode of The Joy of Books, from the National Literacy Trust, Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock shares the stories that sparked her imagination, offered an escape during a difficult childhood and helped her dream big.From discovering Heidi while struggling with undiagnosed dyslexia to getting lost in science fiction, Maggie explores how books opened up new worlds—and why creativity is just as important in science as it is in storytelling. She also recalls reading by torchlight at boarding school, bringing bedtime stories enthusiastically to life for her daughter, and sharing her love of the Moon with Tom Hanks.Along the way, Maggie reveals the treasured book she’d take into space, the poetry that inspires her and the novel she thinks every adult should read.

The Joy of Books with Gaby Huddart from The National Literacy Trust launches on 15th October with special guest Dame Maggie Alderin Pocock