Emma gannon

As she publishes her debut novel, Olive, a book about ‘the obstacle course of adulthood’, the podcaster and author shares her most life-defining reads

MY FAVOURITE BOOK AS A CHILD WAS...

The Jolly Pocket Postman. It makes me happy thinking about it now. The adventures! The animal cartoons in aprons! Opening those envelopes! The nosy joy of reading other people’s letters! The books gave me goosebumps as a kid and set my imagination on fire.

MY FAVOURITE CHARACTER FROM A BOOK IS...

Roald Dahl’s Matilda. I grew up with her. It was the first book I read and I remember the excitement of having it in my hands. I adored her infectious love of books and her strength, despite being around unkind people. Matilda would be in her early 30s now, and so am I. As an adult, I think she would have had an over-achieving job (maybe an award-winning scientist or activist) and made the world a better place.

THE BOOK I RELATE TO MOST IS...

Motherhood by Sheila Heti. It was the first book I’d read about being very happy with the idea of choosing never to have children, and why other people find that so hard to believe. It’s a story of a woman finding herself, and being okay with who that person is, after going over everything in her own head first. I found it totally addictive and read it in one go.

MY FAVOURITE BOOK IS...

The Opposite Of Loneliness by Marina Keegan. It’s stunningly written, and inspired me to start writing my own book. The way Keegan shows the complexities of human relationships and how love can be expressed in different ways is astounding, especially for someone so young at the time of writing. She sadly died in a car accident in 2012 and the book was published posthumously. I think about her a lot.

THE LAST BOOK THAT MADE ME CRY WAS...

Nobody Will Tell You This But Me by Bess Kalb. It’s a unique book, told through the lens of Bess’s grandmother, Bobby, who passed away, as a way of keeping her alive. Inside the book are old photos, texts and voicemail transcripts. Their close relationship made me pine after my own grandparents, who are no longer here.

THE BOOK THAT GOT ME THROUGH A DIFFICULT TIME IS...

I found Cathy Rentzenbrink’s book A Manual For Heartache extremely comforting. It’s a hug in a book, letting you know that you’re not alone, that life can hurt, and that there are ways of letting yourself off the hook and just breathe.

MY FAVOURITE LINE FROM A BOOK IS...

‘Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life,’ by J.K. Rowling in Very Good Lives: The Fringe Benefits Of Failure And The Importance Of Imagination.

THE ONE BOOK I THINK EVERYONE SHOULD READ IS...

It absolutely has to be Layla Saad’s Me And White Supremacy. Saad is one of my favourite people to follow on Instagram – to listen to and learn from. Her book made me open my eyes even wider to global systematic issues and helped me realise we all play a part in the world. All

I can say is I am so glad I read this book – it inspired me to do better and it is completely unforgettable.