The author on re-reading The Mill on the Floss, discovering the eccentric genius of Georges Perec and the comforts of Lee ChildMy earliest reading memory I remember very clearly being taught to read by my father, who had just returned from the second world war in Italy with the RAF. We were living in a council house in Pontefract, having been evacuated from Sheffield. I was three or four, and we used a primer called The Radiant Way which I loved. I later used the title for one of my novels.My favourite book growing up I loved the Alison Uttley stories and was shocked to find in later life that the creator of Little Grey Rabbit was not a good mother and did not like children. I also loved Mary Poppins by PL Travers. I didn’t like the film, which was saccharine, but I loved the much sharper book. Travers too was a very difficult person. Continue reading...