What are you reading right now?

Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan.

Tell us a bit about it...

It's about a young Irish woman moving to Hong Kong and the relationships she has with herself and others while there. Very funny and insightful!

What is your favourite book of all time?

Another Country by James Baldwin

Tell us a bit about it...

Set in New York in the 1950s, it follows a group of friends of varying class, gender and racial identities living, through love and loss. It was transformative for my understanding of human behaviours and the power structures that often dictate them.

What book do you remember most from childhood?

His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman

Tell us a bit about it...

This series was very formative for me as a kid and remains so to this day. It's set in a world very like our own where the church body strives to control its people. It's a story mostly about bravery, love and our perceptions of sin/identity. Plus the central character is an unruly, complex 12 year old girl, which is so exciting to read as a kid!

Which of your books is battered from using over and over again?

Not Me by Eileen Myles

Tell us a bit about it...

I keep this poetry book next to my bed always and dip in and out. Her poems examine lesbian identity, class structure, boundaries of love and societal shame. I love them in their simplicity and read one every 2-3 days.

What is your favourite book by an international author?

The Bone People by Keri Hulme

Tell us a bit about it...

Hulme is of Māori descent and writes about the complexity of this identity in a colonial context. The Bone People follows a devastating story featuring child abuse, alcoholism, and a huge amount of grief. It's absolutely amazing though, and there is deep love there too.

What book do you feel depicts your own or another culture most vividly?

Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa

Tell us a bit about it...

This book is an absolute necessity for all to read. It follows four generations of a Palestinian family and was transformative in my empathy and understanding of the genocide being enacted by Israel. Deeply humanising, moving and painful.

Is there a book that changed your mind/perspective about something?

The Cultural Politics of Emotion by Sara Ahmed

Tell us a bit about it...

This book I'm slowly reading but it has already transformed how I approach emotional processing. It enables me to move through conflict safely and with a sense of empowerment.