Behind the Cover Club is for all women and non-binary readers aged 16 and over. It’s a book club that celebrates brilliant books with women at the centre of the story.
We share audiobooks alongside activities to help grown ups and young adults talk about the book. There's exclusive content from authors discussing their inspirations and writing process, their favourite books, and answers to book club questions.
Behind the Cover Club aims to share excellent books by and about women, while giving you readers a glimpse at the big questions and writers behind the stories.
How it works
Once you've signed up to the Behind the Cover Club, the National Literacy Trust will email you an exclusive audiobook.com access code to download the book for free.
This season of Behind the Cover will include three titles from January to March and there are limited downloads available. Sign up below so that you do not miss out.
Sign up for your free audiobook
Behind the Cover has now concluded for this season and licenses for all titles are no longer available.
Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men
Caroline Criado Perez’s eye-opening book provides perspective on the unseen bias at work in our everyday lives.
Invisible Women shows us how, in a world largely built for and by men, we are systematically ignoring half the population. It exposes the gender data gap - a gap in our knowledge that is at the root of perpetual, systemic discrimination against women, and that has created a pervasive but invisible bias with a profound effect on women's lives.
Read more about this book.
Not Without a Fight
In January 2022, we listened to Not Without a Fight: 10 Steps to Becoming Your Own Champion by professional boxer, model and activist, Ramla Ali. We still have some licences available for you to join in on listening to this amazing book.
“No matter where you start off in life, hard work, dedication and an unwillingness to give up will always see you through to your target. I hope you can take as much out of this book as I did,” Anthony Joshua
In her first book, Ramla details ten key fights - a combination of life's constant challenges and real bouts she's endured both in and outside of the ring - that have shaped her remarkable rise to date.
From her arrival in England as a refugee to being drawn to the energy and spirit of her first boxercise class; from the adrenaline of her first amateur fights to how she often powered on alone, searching for a community of women like her, and her biggest win of all: letting love into her life.
Each relatable lesson is packed full of honesty and urgency, powering the reader on to become their own champion.
Read more about this book.
Somebody Give This Heart a Pen
In February we listened to Somebody Give This Heart a Pen by poet and spoken word artist Sophia Thakur.
Sophia takes you on an intimate journey through love, loss, faith, and self-discovery. She gives a voice to the experiences that connect people and encourages readers to look into themselves and explore the tendencies of the heart.
The poems draw on the author’s experience as a young mixed-race young woman trying to make sense of a lonely and complicated world. With a strong narrative voice and emotional empathy, this is poetry that will resonate with all young people, whatever their background, and whatever their dreams.
The poems draw on the author’s experience as a young mixed-race young woman trying to make sense of a lonely and complicated world. With a strong narrative voice and emotional empathy, this is poetry that will resonate with all young people, whatever their background, and whatever their dreams.
As she says, she hopes the poems will help readers "grow through what they go through".
Read more about this book.
Previous titles and authors
Somebody Give This Heart a Pen by Sophia Thakur
Sophia takes you on an intimate journey through love, loss, faith, and self-discovery. She gives a voice to the experiences that connect people, and encourages readers to look into themselves and explore tendencies of the heart.
Not Without a Fight by Ramla Ali
Ramla details ten key fights - a combination of life’s constant challenges and real bouts she’s endured both in and outside of the ring.
Burnt Sugar by Avni Doshi
The story of a mother and daughters love, this book deals with themes of love, sex, memory and grief.
Becoming by Michelle Obama
Discover the former First Lady’s book recommendations, book club questions, and a Q&A all about her bestselling memoir Becoming.
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
The Booker Prize-winning novel follows the lives of 12 very different characters and their friends, family and lovers across the country.
Ordinary People by Diana Evans
Set at the time of Obama’s election victory, this book explores big themes like intimacy, grief, parenthood and ageing.
