Renowned crime writer Sophie Hannah has revealed the books that shaped her literary journey, from childhood mysteries to adult masterpieces that transformed her perspective on writing and life.
Early Literary Foundations
The author vividly recalls her earliest reading memory at just six years old in her Manchester home in 1977, sitting cross-legged on a grey carpet. She experienced her first major plot twist reading one of Enid Blyton's Secret Seven mysteries, where "Emma Lane" turned out to be a road rather than a person - a genuinely mind-blowing revelation for a young child.
Throughout her childhood, Hannah remained devoted to mystery stories, progressing from Blyton's Secret Seven and Five Find-Outers mysteries until age twelve, then discovering Agatha Christie. She grew up convinced that no other story type could match the satisfaction of a well-crafted mystery.
Transformative Reading Experiences
At fifteen, Hannah experienced a significant turning point when her father strongly suggested she explore more serious literature beyond her beloved mystery novels. Following this advice, she discovered Frances Farmer's harrowing memoir "Will There Really Be a Morning?" at Didsbury library.
The book detailed Farmer's experience of being forcibly committed to an asylum and detained for years against her will. Hannah found the actor's story of survival and making sense of horrific experiences both inspiring and unforgettable, marking a pivotal moment in her development as both reader and writer.
Contemporary Influences and Comfort Reads
Hannah credits life coach and self-help author Brooke Castillo with changing her mindset, particularly through works like "Self Coaching 101" and "It Was Always Meant to Happen That Way." These books helped her understand the distinction between facts and her thoughts about them, revealing that we can choose which stories to tell about any given circumstances.
While Hannah admits her current morning routine involves grabbing her phone, checking to-do lists and some swearing, she dreams of more mindful practices. She finds comfort in Hal Elrod's "The Miracle Morning," which enables her to imagine days filled with meditation, intention-setting and affirmations instead.
Literary Rediscoveries and Enduring Favourites
The crime writer initially struggled with Emily Brontë's "Wuthering Heights," abandoning it three times before it eventually became one of her all-time top five novels.
She regularly returns to two particular novels: Iris Murdoch's "The Black Prince" and Howard Jacobson's "Coming from Behind." Hannah describes the Murdoch as a masterpiece - "a detective novel wrapped in a bizarre love story" that offers the best dissection of creative ambition and literary rivalries she's ever encountered. The Jacobson novel reduces her to tears of laughter, standing as the funniest book she's ever read.
Among her later discoveries was Agatha Christie's Mary Westmacott novel "The Rose and the Yew Tree," which she found equally as suspenseful as Christie's famous detective stories.
Currently, Hannah is reading Harriet Tyce's forthcoming "Witch Trial," describing it as a bold, unpredictable murder mystery with a vice-like grip that's both suspenseful and chilling in the best possible way.
Sophie Hannah's latest work, "The Last Death of the Year: A Hercule Poirot mystery," is published by HarperCollins.
