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Is it possible to be a good writer without being a good reader? I don't know exactly what a 'good reader' is. Someone who reads often? Or widely? Or just takes their time? All I can say is that I believe most readers have an appreciation of language and an interest in the words that are used to tell a story, not just the story itself - most readers, but not all. All writers, however, have to have that interest. It's their job to! According to a report of the Independent Book Publishing Association, over five million American adults belong to reading groups. What, do you believe, is the basis for this country's love for literature and books? I'm not American and so don't really feel I can comment on this. Have you ever belonged to a reading group? No. What advice do you have for reading group members when it comes to selecting books for discussion? Having never been a member of a book group, I have none, really... Sorry! What books are you reading now or do you plan to read? I'm immersed in research for my third book at the moment. I'm not reading any novels - rather, bedside table is stacked with books on Scottish history (not as dull as it sounds! It's pretty gripping stuff.) If you were stuck on a deserted island and could only bring one book with you to read, what would it be and why? Poetry. A huge anthology of poems, probably organized into themes rather than arranged alphabetically or chronologically. I could find solace in every feeling, then - very important, since I'm thinking I'd be alone on this island. Such a book would keep me sane. If you could have dinner with three writers (dead or alive) who would they be and why? This is tough. Right now I'd say Shakespeare (of course - I'd have a million questions for him), Seamus Heaney whose poetry consistently blows my mind; and, rather cheekily, King James I of Scotland who wrote a weighty tome on witchcraft in the Middle Ages, because he could really help me with me research. Have you ever read anything you're too embarrassed to admit (except in this interview)? No. Favorite book when you were a child? Lavinia's Cottage - a pop-up book about a girl in bed with the measles. If you have children, is this the same book you read to them? If not, what is your favorite book for your children? I'm not a mom. Favorite heroine in literature and why? It's not a heroine from a novel, but from a play: I have always loved the character of Beatrice in Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. She's witty, independent, passionate, vulnerable and full of love. I remember seeing the play performed and thinking how wonderful it would be to play her. By sheer luck, I was offered the role at college and so stepped right into her shoes. I loved every moment. Favorite hero in literature and why? I had an early teenage crush on Jem in Daphne du Maurier's overly-sentimental novel Jamaica Inn. He was a horse thief and at the time I thought he was very dashing. These days I can see clearly that he is, in fact, arrogant, sexist and a very poor prospect for any girl - but I was smitten at the time. Favorite first line from a book? In all honesty, I can't think of one. Favorite last line from a book? I can't quote it exactly, I'm afraid, because the book is on loan to a friend. But whilst I think the book is far from flawless, I love the end lines of Wuthering Heights. It refers to Cathy and Heathcliff, both dead, as "the sleepers in that quiet earth." I love that. Book that changed your life? Eve Green - only because, having written it, I became a writer. I have never wanted to be anything else but that. Words to live by? "Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less that the trees and the stars: you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should." —from Max Ehrmann's Desiderata. It feels calming and wise. And I think we could all do with being gentle with ourselves, sometimes.
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