HOWZAT

I consider what I believe a TV executive like Ross truly understands: she understands what millions of people will like, and she knows how to present it. Why shouldn’t that work with books? Why shouldn’t she ask for the cover of Cecilia Ahern’s novel, P.S., I Love You, to be changed from pink to blue so that Richard — and millions of male viewers — wouldn’t feel uncomfortable holding it on telly or reading it on the train? She had what she describes as a “difference of opinion” over the cover of Richard Benson’s book, The Farm; the paperback cover, which showed the author in an agricultural setting (sheep included) would be less appealing to urban viewers/readers than the hardback cover — a lovely illustration — had been. She lost that argument, having been told that the paperback cover was the author’s choice; she subsequently found it wasn’ t. “I honestly don’t want to do anything that upsets the authors; they should choose the cover, they wrote the book. I only ever comment on a cover when I feel that it is doing the book a disservice, is not making it universally appealing. My job is to make things visually appealing, so if publishers don’t want to listen to me on that, well . . .”

In a sense, of course, the Richard & Judy Book Club owes some of its success to Oprah Winfrey, whose book club set the trend. But the format is completely different; Oprah invites the author on to the show, so there’s hardly a possibility of critical debate. “I think the best idea we had was to keep the author out of the mix,” Ross says. “The author starts the piece off with a film telling the story of the book, and that lets the viewer in, too. So even if people aren’t going to read the book, they can still feel involved.

“We also don’t invite ‘experts’ to discuss the books; we get accessible celebrities. So it’s not intimidating, though we do choose a celebrity who will have some relevance to the book — Bettany Hughes (the author and presenter of Helen of Troy on Labyrinth, for instance — and usually the other guest is someone whose opinion would matter to you.”

Are there any downsides to what she’s created — which includes, of course, not just the book club but an initiative launched with Pan Macmillan, How To Get Published; there were 49,000 entries when that began and the winning title, The Olive Readers, by Christine Aziz, has since sold 10,647 copies. Rachel Zadok’s novel, Gem Squash Tokoloshe, a runner-up for the prize, was shortlisted for the Whitbread First Novel Award in 2005. Since then Macmillan has published a further six books by previously unknown authors. Certainly there’s a sense of responsibility; she’s been told, for instance, that the club has created eight author-millionaires.

“We’re able to make people a lot of money out of this, and we aren’t able to make any money out of it ourselves. So partly when I choose someone’s book I want them to be a nice person! I know it probably sounds pathetic, but it might transform their life. Everybody sells more books than they would normally, so you’d want them to be nice people.”

Nice people, I think, just like Amanda Ross. Talking to her is inspiring, a reminder that people — viewers of Richard & Judy, let’s say — are as easily put into “genres” as books, and none of that’s very useful. I get good takeaway from Ross, and feel enlivened by her warmth and vigour; I lose all awareness of her “power”.

But before I go, just as we’re discussing the summer reads, I ask her if she’s read any Meg Wolitzer; I so loved The Wife and The Position, and I think she would too. She’s never heard of Wolitzer, and writes her name down. Then, just for a moment, I think: golly. What have I done?

Richard & Judy returns to Channel 4 on Monday June 19.

These are bound to succeed

EXCLUSIVE: Books reveals Richard and Judy's summer list with Amanda Ross's verdicts

THE HISTORIAN
by Elizabeth Kostova
“Although we’re picking ‘sunlounger’ books, viewers will want something meaty. It’s history, it’s Dracula — I haven’t chosen anything like that before.” Time Warner, £6.99

THE HIGHEST TIDE
by Jim Lynch
“This is just very very sweet, really accessible; a perfect sunlounger book.”
Bloomsbury, £7.99

THE RIGHTEOUS MEN
by Sam Bourne
“This book was the best thriller that I read, and thrillers really aren't my genre. I find it tough to choose thrillers." Harper, £6.99

THE ISLAND
by Victoria Hislop
“This has good takeaway. You’ll feel you’ve learnt something, but it's a beautiful love story as well; it’s beautifully written and unexpected.” Headline Review, £6.99

MY BEST FRIEND’S GIRL
by Dorothy Koomson
“Definitely the best chick-lit I read; and again I find it a difficult genre. The issue of race wasn’t in your face, but it still plays a powerful part.” Time Warner, £6.99

THE ABORTIONIST’S DAUGHTER
by Elisabeth Hyde
“This is a great combination — murder mystery, a thriller.” Pan, £6.99

THE POWER LIST

GAIL REBUCK Chief Executive, Random House
Famous for her author loyalty, fiftysomething mega exec Rebuck was with Dan Brown in court earlier this year. Of course, Brown has made a buck or two for Random House in his time . . .

VICTORIA BARNSLEY Chief Executive, HarperCollins
The founder of esoteric publishing house Fourth Estate, Barnsley now runs the giant company that bought her little imprint.

KES NIELSEN Books manager, Amazon.co.uk
Known as “the nicest man in publishing”, Nielsen — with his heavy discounts and home-page promotions — is still the most powerful books bod on the web.

GAYNOR ALLEN Books buying manager, Tesco
When former manager Caroline Ridding departed in March, she left some very big boots to fill. Is Allen, fresh from the aisles of Borders, up to the job?

FIONA KENNEDY & TOBY BOURNE Buying managers, Waterstone’s
Despite recent turbulence — book-buyer Scott Pack’s departure and Tim Waterstone’s failed bid to buy back his company — Waterstone’s is still a market giant. When its buyers wield their 3-for-2s, every author quakes.

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