"Something in the pictures of Helen Cooper's The Bear Under the Stairs or Lane Smith's The Big Pets takes me back to being four years old and being read to. It was truly a shared joy to be immersed in that world, for a book to give us a new connection to one another."
"I was a swirling hurricane of a teenager and reading about Kerewin alone in her tower felt momentous. There was something about the way that the anger and fear in the book bury into the writing."
"The first time I actually remember having that envious buzzing feeling of What if I could do this? was probably with Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow by Peter Heg. I reread all of the time. Both as a reader, for love, and as a writer. There is such delight in finding new things, in the writing."
Reading profoundly influences personal development across different life stages. Childhood picture books evoke early memories and create shared experiences with children. Adolescent reading, particularly The Bone People, provides emotional resonance during turbulent years. Adult reading continues to transform perspective, with works exploring animal senses, Palestinian narratives, and feminist fiction expanding worldview. The journey toward becoming a writer develops gradually through exposure to beautifully crafted domestic narratives and stylistically impressive works. Rereading serves dual purposes: personal enjoyment and professional development as a writer. Books function as bridges connecting generations and creating meaningful relationships between readers.
#reading-and-memory #literary-influence #writing-development #childhood-and-adolescence #book-recommendations
Read at www.theguardian.com
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