LocalauthorIsabel Ashdownhas
kindly donated copies of her latest novel Beautiful
Liarsto West Sussex Librariesand will be hosting an exclusive
event for reading groups in the Bognor Regis areato supportLibraries Week.
Q.
What was your first job?
I had several part-time jobs from the age of twelve – sewing soft toys
for a local gift shop, working in the café at the Weald & Downland Open Air
Museum, serving behind the chemist counter in my childhood village of East
Wittering. Following school and college,
my first job was as office secretary for a local builder’s firm – after which I
landed my first career job, for The Body Shop at their head office in
Littlehampton. I stayed with them for
the best part of two decades, and was a senior manager by the time I left to pursue
a writing career in the mid-2000s. I was
always passionate about reading and writing, and now, six books into my career;
I still pinch myself to think that I’m a full-time writer.
Q.
Which is your favourite fairy tale?
As a child, the one which disturbed me most was Rumpelstiltskin. It horrified
me to think of this poor girl, locked away and at the mercy of three terrible
men who all want something from her – her boastful father who wants the King to
marry her, the greedy King, who wants her to spin gold, and the evil imp,
Rumpelstiltskin, who ultimately wants her first-born child. Thankfully, the imp gets his comeuppance, but
somewhat disappointingly the father and King do not!
Q.
Which author has inspired you most?
So many writers have inspired me, in different ways. But off the top of my head I can say: Alice
Munro and Joan Barfoot for their sensitivity and insight; Raymond Carver for
his stark and meaningful prose; Stephen King and Virginia Andrews for capturing
me in my adolescent years with their authentic characters and page-turning
stories; Sue Townsend for making me laugh when I was aged 13 ¾; Dr Seuss for feeding
my love of language and rhythm; and all the authors, old and new, who encourage
others to keep going, to keep writing.
Q.
Which fictional character would you most like to spend time with and why?
I’m often drawn to those quieter characters who exist at the edges of
society – these are the characters I continue to think about long after I’ve
closed the pages of a book. I loved
Kathy in Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never
Let Me Go; Cassandra in Dodie Smith’s I
Capture the Castle; Charlie in Stephen Chbosky’s The
Perks of Being a Wallflower.
Q.
Who would you like to play you in a film of your life?
I’m not sure my life is interesting enough for a film! But as leads to
play any of my fictional characters,
I’d be very happy to have Olivia Colman or Suranne Jones or Nicola Walker – all
brilliant women whose talents I admire.
Any of them, please.
Q.
What are you reading now?
My
Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout – it’s extraordinarily
wonderful, and I’m sad that it will soon come to an end … always the sign of a
good book!
Celebrate Libraries this October
October is Talk
About Reading month, celebrating what books, reading and
libraries mean to you. Libraries Week is a national celebration of libraries which falls within this
month. Libraries up and down the country will showcase how they bring
communities together, combat loneliness, provide a space for reading and
creativity, and support people with their mental health.
Look out for the Staff
Picks display in your
local library where we'll be showcasing some of our
favourite titles and helping you find your next good read.
We're always pleased to
talk about books and reading and to hear about what
you're reading. You can get involved on Facebook or Twitter at #WhyILoveMyLibrary where you'll also find the latest
book-related news.
The Man Booker Prize 2018 Shortlist
The six books on
the The Man
Booker Prize2018 Shortlist have been revealed. The
judges describe them as ‘miracles of stylistic invention.' The winner will be
announced on 16 October - which one would you pick to win this prestigious prize?
Explore the
titles and make your predictions!
Five reading groups signed up to shadow the prize and will be meeting on
the night of the award presentation to share their experiences.
We’ll report back in the next edition of Pageturners!
This is the finale to Libraries Week
and follows on from the success of last year’s fair. This year we’re welcoming
new and returning authors. We’ve got a great range of writers for you to chat to about their work and they will also be offering copies of their
books for sale.
This event is free and there’s no need to book –
just drop in!
Saturday
13 October 2018, 11.00am-2.00pm
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