We asked our authors from around the world to share their thoughts on why they write, why they read, and the books that have influenced them.
Here’s what they had to say.
Tell us why you read and share your favorite books! Join the discussion @HarperCollins on Twitter using #hc200.
Amit Lennon
I have always been a writer. My first published piece, when I was thirteen, was a poem in the school magazine. Titled “Autumn,” it contained rather a lot of alliteration. My next published piece was at fifteen: an article in a newspaper where I championed the case of a man who had been refused funding for a home dialysis machine. Anything and everything inspires me to write but particularly injustice. If I see or hear something that affects me I have to put pen to paper. I think authors need to be moved in order to write successfully and from the heart.
