Shelf life

Oh, the joy of curling up on a winter’s afternoon to immerse oneself in a compelling crime novel or TV drama featuring victims and sleuths. The story will be set in a picturesque, seemingly safe place

What revealed the magic of books for me was The Wind in the Willows. When I was five, I contracted measles, which meant I had to spend my days in bed in a darkened room. My mother sat outside my bedro

My love of stories came before my love of reading. I rarely slept as a baby, so my poor mum often soothed me at nights by reading to me. As a small child I listened to Storyteller tapes all night – au

An old man lives at the bottom of my garden. His name is Robert Barkus, or Bakehouse, or Bagust. Nobody is quite sure. But I often sense him around when I’m gardening, and I’ve found out a fair bit ab

BESTSELLING AUTHOR GARETH RUBIN ON HIS WRITING INSPIRATIONS

THE DISCOVERY OF A HAND-DRAWN MAP OF A MYSTERIOUS LAND LEADS THE AUTHOR TO TRANSYLVANIA, WHERE FANTASY AND FAMILY HERITAGE COLLIDE