Authors this Autumn: Part 2

Last month, we promoted our first Authors this Autumn piece to give you guys an insight into the authors we publish and how they are inspired by the books around them. Here are some of their answers to our second VERY bookish question… 

What is the most ‘bookish’ thing you’ve ever done?

Eliza Wass (author of The Life and Death Parade): A couple weeks ago I brought Amor Towles’ Rules of Civility to Disneyland and just read there, sometimes in line, sometimes on a bench in the shade, sometimes at a restaurant. People probably thought I was crazy because I was at Disneyland, but Disneyland + books is like the dream combo, let’s be honest.

Cecilia Vinesse (author of The Summer of Us): In true Season 1 Rory Gilmore style, I have been known to carry a book in my purse no matter where I’m headed. Going on a date? Bring a book! To a friend’s birthday party? Bring a book! How about a busy sports game full of loud, cheering fans? Bring! A! Book! After all, you never know when you’ll be able to steal five minutes (perhaps by going to hide in the bathroom) to catch up on your reading. And if you’re wondering if I have ever left a date/friend’s birthday party/busy sports game full of loud, cheering fans because I decided I would rather be reading my book? The answer is…no comment.

Dashka Slater (author of The 57 Bus): Starting an Instagram account for posting pictures of people reading by Lake Merritt, one of my favourite places in my home town of Oakland. Every time I see people reading there I feel a surge that is equal parts joy and envy. Both “Look how amazing my city is, full of readers sprawled on the grass – I love everybody!” and “That looks like the best thing ever, why am I not lying in the grass reading right now? Move over and let me have that book!”

Emily X. R. Pan (author of The Astonishing Colour of After): This is the thing my friends make fun of me for: Starting from middle school and up until very recently, I had a policy that any time a book left my shelf, it had to first be carefully wrapped in a protective cloth, and wrapped again in a gallon-size Ziploc freezer bag, and then carried inside a laptop sleeve…all in order to ensure the book would stay in pristine condition. This was for books I carried around to read myself. If other people wanted to borrow my books, they could only do so if I had a lending copy (I keep lending copies of my favorites), and they still had to follow the same protective measures. (No spine cracking or dog-earing allowed!) One time I got a beloved book signed by the author, and her husband turned to me and said, “Now you have to actually read it!” I’d read it a dozen times but it was in such pristine condition you couldn’t tell I’d ever even glanced inside. I was mortified, and tried to explain—and they definitely found me ridiculous.

Are there books that have inspired your voice? Share these with us on our social channels!