I’m a very eclectic reader: fiction, non-fiction, commercial, literary—I read them all. One of my favourite writers is Barbara Vine (Ruth Rendell’s nom de plume), and in more recent times I’ve become a devotee of memoir: some I’ve particularly  enjoyed are those by Vera Brittain, Frances Donaldson, and Agatha Christie. It’s a fact—truth is so often stranger, more moving, and more incredible than fiction.
One of the best things about being a writer is that I can justify any amount of reading: it’s no longer procrastination, it’s research! Thankfully, I genuinely enjoy the books I read for my work. My husband laughs at me because my beach-read of choice usually has a title like ‘The Penguin Guide to England between the Wars’.


Last updated on December 21, 2009 by Kate Morton