Katie Kitamura, the American author, reflects on the books and writers that have influenced her life and work. From her earliest reading memories to her current comfort reads, she shares a personal journey through literature.
Earliest Reading Memory
Kitamura recalls reading throughout her childhood, but her earliest memory is vague. She remembers taking a copy of Pierre Choderlos de Laclos's Dangerous Liaisons off the shelf at age 10 or 11, far too young for its content. She was both scandalised and excited.
Favourite Book Growing Up
She read a lot of Theodore Dreiser, though she cannot recall how she discovered him. His focus on female characters stood out. She started with Sister Carrie, then read Jennie Gerhardt and An American Tragedy, but Sister Carrie was the one she returned to repeatedly.
The Book That Changed Me as a Teenager
Upton Sinclair's The Jungle transformed her understanding of what a story could be. At age 12, she realised the novel's capacity not only to comment on society but to enact social change.
The Writer Who Changed My Mind
Kitamura says almost every writer changes her mind, as that is the point of reading.
The Book That Made Me Want to Be a Writer
Kenzaburō Ōe's A Personal Matter had a profound impact. In her mid-20s, with her father dying of cancer, she understood how writing could sit alongside ordinary life and offer a perspective to understand it.
The Author I Came Back To
Yasunari Kawabata was difficult for her when she was younger. His slim books felt tonally erratic—both passionate and restrained. Now, each book seems like a minor miracle.
The Book I Reread
Henry James's The Portrait of a Lady contains many meanings that shift with each reading, a sign of its greatness.
The Book I Could Never Read Again
Kitamura cannot think of any book she would never reread. Even books she might not enjoy now would be interesting to see how both she and the book have changed.
The Author I Discovered Later in Life
Muriel Spark was a late discovery. She read The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and The Girls of Slender Means in her early 20s, too young to appreciate their genius. She has since read works like Loitering With Intent, Memento Mori, and her favourite, The Driver's Seat, calling it one of the most satisfying reading experiences of her life.
The Book I Am Currently Reading
She is rereading Ford Madox Ford's The Good Soldier and Graham Greene's The End of the Affair.
My Comfort Read
Possibly the same books as above, along with the entirety of Javier Marías's work.
Audition by Katie Kitamura is published in paperback by Vintage.
