Vox Tox by Sandi Toksvig [Online Resource]

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On March 21, 2020, Sandi Toksvig posted a video on a new YouTube, Vox Tox. It opens with the calming sound of a slow piano rag and a view of Sandi Toksvig in a rocking chair, a book in her lap, a dog at her feet, a fireplace to her side, and bookcases full of books behind. The camera pans over some of Sandi’s books before cutting back to Sandi, who looks into the camera and begins, “Hello there. Come have a sit down.” She continues:

You know we’re in strange times and I do know that there are some people are feeling a tad isolated, so I thought we could just have a bit of a chat. When I’m at home, I’ll be honest with you, I’m quite quiet, and a bit private, but I would like to invite you into my favorite room in our house: it’s one, as you can see, with all the books. When things are taking a bit of a low turn, which they do for everybody at some point, this is the place I come to find a bit of calm. I think we all need to find the positive in this enforced separation from the world and the bit I’m finding is how lovely to have the time to dip in and out of some ancient volume I haven’t looked at for ages. I struggled a great deal with loneliness when I was a child and it was always books which kept me company.

Vox Tox is “a daily amble through the library of Sandi Toksvig”. It’s also a wonderful amble through the mind of Sandi Toksvig, whose interests are wide ranging. The bulk of each episode, which is just under ten minutes long, consist of various historical stories with an emphasis on the stories of women, and no fear of digression. Sandi’s style is wonderfully conversational, and her manner wonderfully calming, like a Mr. Rodgers for gown ups. There has been a new Vox Tox each day, and I highly recommend subscribing to the channel.