books
March 13, 2026
Daisy Johnson: ‘I wasn’t a fan of David Szalay, but Flesh is a masterpiece’
The Booker-shortlisted author on a momentous teenage encounter with The Bone People, getting a buzz from Peter Høeg’s Miss Smilla, and trying to avoid The Lorax
TL;DR
- Early reading memories are evoked by children's books like "The Bear Under the Stairs" and "The Big Pet."
- The Sabriel series was a shared joy read with her father and brother.
- "The Bone People" by Keri Hulme was a momentous read during her teenage years.
- Ed Yong's "An Immense World" and Isabella Hammad's "Recognising the Stranger" have recently changed her perspective.
- Shirley Hughes' Alfie books and Peter Høeg's "Miss Smilla’s Feeling for Snow" were early inspirations for writing.
- She now considers David Szalay's "Flesh" a masterpiece despite previous reservations.
- Virginia Woolf's "Orlando" and "Mrs Dalloway" are reread for both pleasure and professional development.
- She wishes to avoid reading "The Lorax" by Dr. Seuss again.
- She recently discovered E.M. Forster's "A Room With a View" and the work of Yōko Ogawa.
- Currently reading "One Aladdin Two Lamps" by Jeanette Winterson and listening to "The Poisoned King" by Katherine Rundell.
- Her comfort read is "The Shipping News" by Annie Proulx.
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