From the acclaimed, award-winning author comes a sparkling, surprising
collection of the writing she loves best--and without which she would
not have become a writer.
The Book Lover is a treasure trove of what Ali Smith has loved over
the course of her reading life, in her twenties, as a teenager, as a
child. Full of pieces from amazing writers like Sylvia Plath, Muriel
Spark, Grace Paley, and Margaret Atwood, it also has a wonderful
selection of lesser-known authors like Joseph Roth, only just gaining
proper status now, and Clarice Lispector, a Brazilian genius who's far
too underpublished. From surprising figures like Beryl the Peril, Billie
Holliday, and Lee Miller to unusual selections from the most prominent
writers in history, The Book Lover is an intimate, personal anthology
that gives readers a glimpse of how writers develop their craft--by
reading other writers.