Hilary Mantel
I read out of hope and avid curiosity, and in an attempt to live in other times, and inhabit bodies that are not my own. More
Barbara Taylor Bradford
When I say I have the need to write, I do mean need. More
The Other Boleyn Girl
The Tudor court seen as never before; this take on the Boleyn sisters reinvented the historical novel. More
Girl with a Pearl Earring
Multimillion-copy global bestseller that won critical acclaim for its beautifully wrought depiction of innocence corrupted. More
Dorothea Benton Frank
You’ve asked me to tell you why I write but I think the answer might be longer than the fifty or one hundred words you’ve allotted me. More
The Golden Notebook
A feminist landmark and the best-known work by Nobel Prize winner Doris Lessing. More
The Devil Wears Prada
Sensational behind-the-scenes debut novel about the fashion world and the boss from hell. More
Room
Winner of the 2011 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize regional prize; made into a major motion picture. More
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
An American classic called “one of the books of the century” by the New York Public Library. More
Lauren Weisberger
A book that influenced me and why . . . Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume was incredibly influential to me as a child. More
B. A. Paris
I write because it’s something I love doing. More
Love Story
The romantic tale that defined a generation, sold millions, and inspired a popular film. More
Meg Cabot
I write because of readers like Diana Moreno, who handed me a letter recently telling me that, as the firstborn daughter of immigrants, she felt lonely and shy when she arrived here in 2004 . . . until she found my books. More
The Stone Diaries
Winner of the 1993 Governor General’s Award (Canada) and the 1995 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. More
A Woman of Substance
With her unforgettable heroine Emma Harte, Bradford popularized the rags-to-riches family saga. More
Anne O’Brien
Writing about medieval women is compulsive. More
Cally Taylor
When I get an idea for a novel the fizz of excitement I feel is electrifying. More
The Corrections
Winner of the National Book Award in 2001 and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize in 2002. More
Cecelia Ahern
I write because I feel compelled to. More
Tara Moss
Thanks to my parents, I’ve been a passionate reader since childhood. More
Mary Kubica
I read to transport myself. More
Emma Donoghue
Like many teenagers, I spent more of my summer holidays than I probably should have immersed in the world of The Lord of the Rings. More
B. J. Daniels
I grew up in Montana on stories around the campfire so it’s no surprise that I love to read—and write my own. More
Jacqueline Winspear
I read because I love language, the way the joining of words and the rhythm of a story can make me laugh, cry, or take me out of my world or immerse me in the lives of others. More
Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Why do I read? Seriously? I’m supposed to provide an intelligent answer? More
Kimberly McCreight
I write because I want answers. More
Blonde
A finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. More