City Reads
To celebrate five years as a UNESCO City of Literature, the people of Exeter voted on Exeter’s Favourite Book in 2024.
After months of voting, the winner was announced in September as The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien!
Exeter’s Favourite Book
The Lord of the Rings J.R.R. Tolkien
After several months of public voting, we can reveal that Exeter’s favourite book is J.R.R Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings!
Fans shared that they voted for the globally lauded trilogy thanks to The Lord of the Rings’ themes of escapism and well-being, an undeniable Westcountry feeling, and J.R.R’s importance in the fantasy genre.
Tolkien’s Connections to Exeter
The Lord of the Rings is a fitting victor for City Reads given its special connection to Exeter, with the inspirations for Middle Earth stemming from The Exeter Book, a 10th-century anthology of Anglo-Saxon poetry and riddles that resides at Exeter Cathedral.
What City Reads voters said about The Lord of the Rings
“I have often lost myself in the world of Middle earth, the rolling green pastures of the shire, the elegant trees of Lothlorien and the desolate borders of Mordor! It is my favourite series ever”
— City Reads Voter
“The pure escapism of magical characters in an evocative landscape with an ages old fight between good and evil seems so far away and yet so close to our current experience. It's timeless!”
— City Reads Voter
“The Shire will always represent to me as a mythological Devon where life was more simple and forgiving, until the ring arrived! This book had a huge impact on my life, it kept me going, just like Sam did with Frodo, it’ll always be my most favourite and treasured novel.”
— City Reads Voter
On Tuesday 10th September, we celebrated the culmination of City Reads and Exeter’s fifth year as a UNESCO City of Literature at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum.
Attendees such as the Lord Mayor Kevin Mitchell, leader of Exeter City Council Phil Bialyk, The Lord of the Rings illustrator Alan Lee, and other leaders across the business, cultural, and educational sectors came together to honour Exeter’s long-standing love of reading and commitment to culture.
City Reads Celebration Evening
Chris Smith (HarperCollins) - City Reads Acceptance Speech
To celebrate The Lord of the Rings being crowned 'Exeter's Favourite Book' as part of our City Reads campaign, we reached out to HarperCollins to hear their reaction.
Chris Smith, Publishing Director at Harper Collins, J.R.R. Tolkien’s official worldwide publisher, says: “HarperCollins is delighted that J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings has been chosen as the city’s favourite book. It is fitting that, in the 70th anniversary year since Tolkien’s masterwork was first published, it is being acclaimed in this way."
“In every corner of Exeter, reading continues to be a vital force for unity, creativity, and growth. City Reads started a conversation about the books the people of Exeter love, and we hope that conversation continues for generations to come”
— Anna Cohn Orchard (Executive Director, Exeter City of Literature) on City Reads
City Reads Honourary Mention
Heartstopper - Alice Oseman
Alongside the winning novel The Lord of the Rings, Alice Oseman’s Heartstopper receives an honorary mention as the hugely successful graphic novel received a huge wave of support from the young readers of Exeter!
“Because it is the best thing ever”
— Voter on Heartstopper
The City Reads Shortlist
“A perfect balance of everything I love. It's simultaneously a cosy book to read, with familiar characters that you can always go back to, but it also has high stakes and explores deep themes and messages.”
— Voter on The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet
“Really captures the life of an immigrant in the UK and the impact of colonialism in a powerful way.”
— Voter on Babel
City Reads
Voting Booths
During the public voting stage of City Reads, voting boxes popped up across Exeter thanks to a city wide collaboration with organisations and businesses.
We also held special City Reads pop ups to get in person votes, such as our in person voting board that debuted at The Book Market on Sunday 9th June.
Voting Booth Locations
50.7 Pub
Aris Healthy Life Food Store & Cafe
Beacon Centre
Birdhouse Coffee Shop (Pinces Garden Social Enterprise)
Bookbag Bookshop
Browne Jacobson
Crankhouse
Devon and Exeter Institution
Exeter City Council - Civic Centre Entrance
Exeter Custom House
Exeter Innovation Hub
Exeter Library
Generator Hub
Haines Watts
Intercom Trust
Newtown Community Association
Oxfam Books, Exeter
Parklife Heavitree
Positive Light Projects
Powderham Castle
Royal Albert Memorial Museum (RAMM)
St David’s Community Centre
St Sidwells Bakehouse
St Sidwells Community Centre
St. Katherine's Priory (BNIWSP)
The Daily Bowl
The Quay Climbing Centre
Waterstones Exeter Roman Gate
City Reads Prize Winners
First Prize - £100 National Book Token
Beth O
Beth recently started our 2024 Introduction to Bibliotherapy Skills course so plans to use the National Book Token prize on books related to the course!
Second Prize - A stack of the City Reads shortlisted books
Laura K
Laura received all 6 of the City Reads shortlisted books, including a special signed copy of Open Water! Laura has previously read The Lord of the Rings & Murder on the Orient Express and looks forward to revisiting these, as well as her daughter’s favourite Heartstopper!
Third Prize - The Ivy Exeter special gift voucher
Chris D
“It’s Christie at her very best, with added glamour, exotic locations, over-the-top characters and Hercule Poirot to guide us through the adventure. Whodunnits don’t get any better than this from the Queen of Crime.”
— Voter on Murder on the Orient Express
“Gorgeous writing with nuanced themes and beautiful story.”
— Voter on Open Water
Exeter Phoenix and Exeter City of Literature are joining forces this August for a series of screenings inspired by the six books on the City Reads shortlist - come along to experience fantastic adaptations, cinematic inspirations, and a marathon Lord of the Rings screening to celebrate Exeter City of Literature’s mission to find Exeter's favourite book!
City Reads Film Season
Pray (2023) and
If Beale Street Could Talk (2018)
Tuesday 6th August - 6:30pm
Caleb has often spoken of James Baldwin’s influence, so Barry Jenkins’ adaptation of If Beale Street Could Talk - which appears in a pivotal moment of Open Water - is the perfect choice to celebrate his first novel!
Murder on the
Orient Express (2017)
Sunday 11th August - 2pm
Revel in this stylish star-studded adaptation of Agatha Christie’s crime classic on rails, featuring one of the most luxurious moustaches ever seen on screen!
The Personal History of David Copperfield (2019)
Tuesday 13th August - 6:30pm
Dickens’ novel was a major influence on Kuang when researching the voice of Babel, and Armando Iannucci’s charming canon-deconstructing adaptation kept her company through her drafts.
The Lord of the Rings (2001 - 2003) Trilogy Screening: Extended Editions
Saturday 17th August - 10:30am to 11:15pm
Peter Jackson’s adaptations won 17 Oscars, 13 BAFTAs, and the hearts of Tolkien fans everywhere, so what better way to experience Middle-earth than over 11 hours at once?
Scott Pilgrim vs the World (2010)
Monday 19th August - 6:30pm
Do battle with the League of Evil Exes in Alice Oseman’s favourite film, a cult classic based on the award-winning Canadian graphic novels!
Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1974)
Friday 23rd August - 5:10pm & 7:50pm
Becky Chambers doesn’t recall not having the stories and characters of Star Wars in her life, so let’s take the Long Way round to the beginning of the greatest space opera in the galaxy.
Organisations Taking Part in City Reads
