The country's favourite reads will be revealed

The poll, which closes on 19 April, has already received more than 100,000 nominations - three times the number received in the first stage of the Great Britons TV poll.

A one-off special programme on 17 May will reveal the country's favourite works of fiction.

It will find out how many are British, how many are classics, who are Britain's most nominated authors and which books have failed to make it into the lasting affections of the British public.

Nick Hornby is among the UK's most popular authors

Dozens of literary luminaries and well-known faces will be on hand to answer some of the big questions about the people's favourites.

To complete an evening of programming on the nation's choices, BBC Four will subject the top 100 to the scrutiny of critics and commentators in a round-table discussion.

The panel will analyse trends and themes, and reflect on what the list reveals about British reading tastes and habits.

But the programmes will not reveal the order of the top 100. This will not be made public until the autumn, when The Big Read returns to BBC Two and presents 10 films - one on each of the top 10 novels.

Literary loves

The public will then be asked to vote again to decide which book is the nation's favourite of favourites.

The programme uncovering Britain's literary loves follows the huge response to The Big Read campaign since its launch on 5 April.

The project has captured the public's imagination BBC Two controller Jane Root

Members of the public still have until midnight on Saturday to nominate their best-loved book.

BBC Two controller Jane Root said there had been a tremendous response so far.

She said: "The project has captured the public's imagination and we hope it will encourage everyone to read and discuss books this summer, whether in the home, schools, libraries or through reading groups."