VICK HOPE: I DON’T MIND BEING ON MY OWN – I ACTUALLY QUITE LOVE IT

Lockdown has been “up and down” – but losing the ability to concentrate on books hasn’t been a problem for Vick Hope. Which is lucky, as she had more than 50 to get through this winter, as one of the judges for this year’s Women’s Prize for Fiction. “I’m not gonna lie, I love books, but I was a bit delirious!” says Hope, 31. “I’d spend every minute when I wasn’t working just reading. But my favourite thing is books, so I feel very lucky. It’s a massive privilege to be part of the Women’s Prize.” Not least because chairing the judges’ panel this year is Bernardine Evaristo, author of 2019 hit Girl, Woman, Other – “one of my favourite books”. It’s been a welcome way to fill time, too. “I take escapism from books,” says Hope. “We don’t have that escape in any other way right now – you can’t travel, can’t see family, friends. That’s why reading’s so important, it gives people that.” It doesn’t sound like Hope’s struggled to stay busy though. As well as her presenting work (there’s BBC Radio 1’s Life Hacks, among others), she recently had her own children’s book out – Shout Out, written with her former Capital co-presenter Roman Kemp. Hope, who grew up in Newcastle with a Nigerian mother and white English father, is also closely engaged with activism around diversity and empowering young people. During the pandemic, alongside helping raise awareness and vital funds for Red Nose Day, she’s been supporting community volunteering work in East London where she lives. It’s helped her realise “just how hard it is for some people” in lockdown, especially disadvantaged families. “It’s Red Nose Day on March 19. The T-shirts are available in TK Maxx, with Pixar characters on, and the money goes towards helping people who are struggling at the moment.” There can be so much pressure on us, especially women, to do things a certain way and follow a set path – is that something you relate to? “Definitely. I think it’s a thing for every woman. I’m 31, and 30 is the age we’ve assigned this notion of readiness to, this notion of settling, which is neither here nor there, is it? You know, are we married with children? I’m not, and I think sometimes you’re encouraged by society to be a bit worried about that. “We all suffer from loneliness from time to time and we’re isolated at the moment, and sometimes I do really feel that isolation, but I’ve learnt to be OK with my own company. I enjoy and choose to be taking great pleasure in doing things by myself, it’s liberating. And I don’t mind being on my own, I actually quite love it.” Vick Hope is part of this year’s Red Nose Day Campaign and is on the judging panel for the Women’s Prize For Fiction Award.