Shelf life: Rachel Zadok
What books are on your bedside table?
The Turning by Tim Winton, which is incredible. His writing is phenomenal and I can't wait for my publisher to send me the rest of his books. Small Island, by Andrea Levy, I devoured over two or three obsessive days. I'm wowed by how she managed to write four completely different first-person narratives and move a complex story forward through them. The Whale Caller by Zakes Mda, I absolutely loved.
Journeys In The Dead Season by Spencer Jordan is on my waiting list along with The Accidental by Ali Smith - I love her work.
Which books have you been unable to finish?
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Hide AdRecently, a book called Welcome To The Great Mysterious. Yawn. There is another one, but I can't mention what it is for fear of recriminations.
What was your favourite childhood book?
The Tree That Sat Down by Beverly Nichols.
Which book would you buy as a present and why?
The Whale Caller by Zakes Mda, because I loved it so much and he's another South African author and I want everyone to read him because it's so great.
What literary character would you like to meet?
I don't think I'd want to meet any of them, to be honest. I feel much safer with real people.
Which authors do you most admire?
There are so many I admire, I can't make a list.
Bookmark or page-fold?
Depends if the book is a precious work of art or a load of old cobblers.