“Woke up this morning with a terrific urge to lie in bed all day and read.” Raymond Carver

What was the first book you fell in love with? One you unwind with? Explore why books make us who we are, and how they nurture us in troubled times.

Stories written for children offer a glimpse into our deepest hopes, joys and anxieties. Sam Leith’s The Haunted Wood explores this magic, and how stories define and console generations. Daisy Buchanan’s Read Yourself Happy helps readers survive and thrive, offering practical ‘shelf-help’ as the perfect source of anti-anxiety.

Journalist, author and host of the You’re Booked podcast (1.5 million downloads and counting) Daisy Buchanan has go-to recommendations across a wide range of genres. Literary editor of the Spectator, Sam Leith’s books include You Talkin’ To Me?: Rhetoric from Aristotle to Trump and Beyond, and Write To The Point: How to be Clear, Correct, and Persuasive on the Page.

In conversation with Katherine McSharry.