The Booker-shortlisted author, Daisy Johnson, reflects on her significant literary experiences, from a powerful teenage encounter with Keri Hulme’s ‘The Bone People’ and the thrill derived from Peter Høeg’s ‘Miss Smilla’s Sense of Snow,’ to her conscious efforts to steer clear of Dr. Seuss’s ‘The Lorax.’
My Earliest Reading Memories
Childhood memories vividly resurface as I currently read to my own young children. The captivating illustrations in books like Helen Cooper’s ‘The Bear Under the Stairs’ or Lane Smith’s ‘The Big Pets’ transport me back to being a four-year-old, eagerly listening as stories were read aloud to me.
My Favourite Book Growing Up
Growing up, I absolutely adored Garth Nix’s ‘Sabriel’ series. I first discovered it while reading alongside my father, and later shared the experience with my younger brother. Immersing ourselves in that imaginative world was a truly shared pleasure, and the book became a wonderful new way for us to connect with one another.