Sue Perkins will investigate what makes a book a best seller for World Book Night One million books, including works by Alan Bennett and John Le Carre, are being given away in the UK and Ireland to mark the inaugural World Book Night.
They will be distributed at venues including homeless centres, pubs and hospitals in a bid to boost reading.
Some 20,000 people have been asked to pick their favourite from 25 titles and will be given 48 copies to pass on to friends with their recommendation.
BBC Two is also screening an evening of special programmes to mark the event.
The schedule includes three Culture Show Specials and a premiere of BBC Films’ adaptation of Brideshead Revisited.
Live broadcasts from World Book Night events around the country will be broadcast in between the TV programmes.
On Friday a night of performances by some of the most celebrated artists from stage, screen, literature and art took part in a launch event.
Compered by Graham Norton in London’s Trafalgar Square, Margaret Atwood, Alan Bennett and Nick Cave were just some of the names that participated.
A Million Books For Free: A Culture Show Special, presented by Andrew Graham-Dixon, tells the story of World Book Night.
The half-hour show follows some of the 20,000 volunteers who will be handing out copies of their favourite books that featured on the World Book Night’s list of selected titles.
The second Culture Show special features comedian and former Booker Prize-judge Sue Perkins who will investigate what makes a best-selling novel.
Some of the authors featured in The Books We Really Read, include Agatha Christie, Lee Child and Sophie Kinsella.
New Novelists: 12 Of The Best from The Culture Show, is the final documentary of the night.
The authors were selected by a panel of judges.
The live broadcasts will take place from the Aye Write Festival in Glasgow, a centre for the homeless in Manchester and the Southbank Centre’s Clore Ballroom at the Royal Festival Hall.
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.