Shutterstock / woaiss©Regular readers of our Writer Of The Week series will know that we often ask those with stories in the “Friend” all about their favourite authors.
It’s not a surprise that we get a wide range of answers!
Here, we’ve gathered a few together. Maybe you’ll be able to spot some influences the next time you read a story by someone included below!
If not, you certainly will get some good suggestions for your next book.
Photograph courtesy of Eirin Thompson.
Eirin Thompson
“The first author I fell in love with was Gwynedd Rae, who wrote the Mary Plain books about a Swiss bear cub who comes to England to live with her guardian, ‘The Owl Man’. Even as a six-year-old I had some understanding that I was in the presence of a masterful narrative voice.
“As a teenager, I was utterly wooed again, this time by William Goldman, probably best known as the writer of ‘Marathon Man’ and ‘Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid’. His fairy tale, ‘The Princess Bride’, which has lines so good you’ll sometimes see them on a t-shirt, charmed me completely.
“Just before I left home at eighteen, my dad recommended to me John Irving’s ‘The World According To Garp’, and another love affair began. The author said he hoped to ’cause a few smiles among the tough-minded and break a few softer hearts’. This is certainly the book to do both those things, and those words are a pretty worthwhile aspiration for any writer, I think.
“I am also a massive, massive fan of the Adrian Mole diaries and have re-read these so many times.”
Photograph courtesy of Sally Ann East.
Sally Ann East
“I enjoy romance, crime and historical fiction.
“My favourite authors are Miranda Dickinson, Tracy Chevalier, Joanne Harris, Julie Cohen and Peter Lovesey.
My favourite books ever are ‘Jane Eyre’ and ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’.”
Photograph courtesy of Suzan Lindsay Randle.
Suzan Lindsay Randle
“Charlotte Brontë is my literary heroine. She wrote remarkable novels which defied the conventions of the time for a female writer and ‘Jane Eyre’ still resonates today.
“And Sebastian Faulks, author of ‘Birdsong’, who describes in only a few words emotions the reader can really feel because he uses exactly the right words.
“I’m looking forward to reading his next novel which is due out later this year.
“Meanwhile I’m enjoying “The Thursday Murder Club” by Richard Osman which is highly entertaining.”
Photograph courtesy of Merrilee Robson.
Merrilee Robson
“Gail Bowen is a wonderful Canadian mystery writer. Her Joanne Kilbourn series, set in Saskatchewan, is now up to 20 novels. I’ll read anything by Elly Griffiths but I particularly love her Ruth Galloway books because I’m fascinated by forensic anthropology.
“I grew up reading Mary Stewart’s romantic suspense novels and I’d love to write a book like that one day.
“Of course I devoured Nancy Drew mysteries and read Enid Blyton adventures but the book that is most memorable for me from childhood was ‘Anne of Green Gables’.
“I remember my teacher reading it to us in our class and desperately wanting to know what came next. And I re-read all the Jane Austen novels from time to time and wish there were more of them. (And, yes, Colin Firth is the best film Darcy.)”
Photograph courtesy of Stephen Murphy.
Stephen Murphy
“I enjoy a well crafted mystery. P.D. James was a keen favourite as was Iris Murdoch.
“More recently, S. J. Parris and her Giordana Bruno books have given me a lot of pleasure.”
Photograph courtesy of Christina Collins.
Christina Collins
“Until recently, I was very particular about the books that I read, sticking to authors I knew. My favourites include Nicholas Evans, James Patterson and Jodi Picoult.
“My daughter started writing book reviews, and on her recommendations I started reading genres I wouldn’t normally have considered, and authors I have never heard of, and it opened up a whole new world for me.”
Photograph courtesy of Anne Holmes.
Anne Holmes
“My favourite authors are Peter James, who writes crime stories set in Brighton.
“I love Peter Robinson, too. He is also a crime writer, but his novels are set in Yorkshire.”
Photograph by Wendy Craig.
Wendy Craig
“Anita Brookner. She’s a master of character study, creating atmospheres and life situations that resonate with me.”
You can read a new entry in our Writer Of The Week series every Monday. Catch up with our previously featured writers by clicking here.
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Iain McDonald I am the Digital Content Editor at the “Friend”, making me responsible for managing the flow of interesting and entertaining content on the magazine’s website and social media channels.
