Writing Magazine

SHELF LIFE

The Child That Books Built

by Francis Spufford

‘Francis Spufford’s brilliantly tender memoir of childhood reading explores the ways that our early literary adventures shape us. As he puts it, “There were times when a particular book, like a seed crystal, dropped into our minds when they were exactly ready for it, like a supersaturated solution, and suddenly we changed.” This intimate, generous book opened my eyes to the power and purpose of storytelling for children. Spufford captures the glued-to-the page-ness of our first

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Writing Magazine

Writing Magazine4 min read
What A ***!!!**!*
A strange thing happened last week. I was lost for words. Happily, it didn’t last long. The reason I was dumbfounded was that I came across a publisher who found a new way of being a chiselling shithead. Now, to be fair to traditional publishers who
Writing Magazine6 min read
Ladies Who Lunch
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/24131/24131-h/24131-h.htm This month’s story, ‘Xingu’ by Edith Wharton is about ladies who lunch. It’s a light and amusing story, but with some ‘heavy’ language. I had to look up several words in the dictionary. On th
Writing Magazine3 min read
Tips And Exercises For Writing Historical Fiction:
In writing historical fiction, it’s easy to get lost in the dates and facts that you’ve been researching (Who was monarch at the time? Which countries were allied in the War of Spanish Succession?). This can lead to sterile writing, and getting caugh

Related Books & Audiobooks