Virginia Evans

And at number two and up four places, we have Florence Knapp's The Names, a family drama that explores how different choices and identities can shape the course of a life.

And then up one place into top spot, we have Virginia Evans' The Correspondent, the winner of the Women's Prize for Fiction 2026.

Through letters and written exchanges, a lifelong correspondent reflects on relationships, family, and the passage of time.

So there we have it.

So your current book that you would say is your favourite?

Well, it's a book called The Correspondent, which as it happens, is at the top of the bestseller lists at the moment, but was printed in 2025 and kind of fell without trace, written by a woman called Virginia Evans, who is American, but by a coincidence had come to Trinity to do her Master's.

And she wrote the book and it didn't make much of a notice until Oprah Winfrey picked it up somewhere and then interviewed her.

And now it's at the top of the bestsellers.

Yes.

Someone who I have interviewed when this book came out, which is doing incredibly well since, whether it's because she was on my show or not, I couldn't possibly say, Virginia Evans and The Correspondent.

That can be the only reason, Hannah.

You must have set a trend.

At number four, a new entry to Drown a Wick by Lindsay Olsen.

And at number three, last week's number one down two places, it's Virginia Evans and The Correspondent.

A new entry at number two is A Grip Up by Robert Harris.

And at number one, it's Freda McFadden's Brain Damage.

At number four, Bella Mackey's Claws Out was number one last week.

Still selling well, though, at number four.

And at number three, it's Virginia Evans, The Correspondent.

The Book of Lost Hours by Hairy Girl Fuso is a new entry at number two.

Okay.

Along with The Correspondent by Virginia Evans, Atmosphere, A Love Story by Taylor Jenkins Reid, The Names by Florence Knapp, Buckeye by Patrick Ryan, and The Rush by Beth Lewis.

So yeah, this kind of spans literary fiction, speculative fiction, contemporary drama, and gripping page turners, according to their website, reflecting the remarkable breadth and quality of fiction being published today.

So this is just fiction.

My favorite book of the last couple of years is the correspondent.

It's a book by, uh, Virginia Evans and it's fiction.

I read it three months ago.

Extraordinary.

I'm somewhat suspicious of sleeper hits and popular books that might not be very deep.

However, I am pleased to say and share with everybody that I found the correspondent by Virginia Evans to be a book that I could barely put down to eat or vacuum or do anything.

I was totally caught up in this book of letters, and I recommend it to anybody to give it a try.

What kind of letters were you talking about?

And there are many, many characters in this book.

and i got to know them through their letters and emails with her and i was amazed by the end of this book i felt like they were all in my home with me they were so real and i couldn't believe that in a letter of old nobody writes letters very much anymore let alone cards sending through the mail she is starting out be moaning that that nobody's nobody knows how to write in handwriting they're not writing letters And so I just love this book.

And Virginia Evans, I read about her.

I think you may have mentioned this last time, Dave, that this book took her 20 years through various revisions.

So that's John Ronson, Vikas Swaroop, and The Correspondent.

I think her name is Virginia Evans, if I'm not mistaken.

And yeah, I'd recommend it.

It's lovely.