A Chat With Katherine Rundell

What is one book you think everyone should read? 
“I think Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll—for its glorious comedy and strangeness and originality and power. I read it many times and never, never grow tired of it.” 

What is your favourite part of writing kids’ books? 
“I love that when you write for children, as long as you can capture their imagination, they will follow you anywhere—there are no limits on invention.” 

What book got you hooked on reading as a kid? 
“I adored the Brambly Hedge series by Jill Barklem when I was very young: they have magnificent cross-section illustrations of the mice living inside trees, with their four-poster beds and crab apple desserts. I longed to join them.” 

What was your favourite book as a child? 
“I would have named different books if you had caught me on different days—I adored the Paddington books by Michael Bond, the Pippi Longstocking series by Astrid Lindgren, and Diana Wynne Jones’s Chrestomanci books—but The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe was probably at the top of my list.” 

Which character from your books would you most likely befriend? 
“Jacques, the tiny jaculus dragon in Impossible Creatures. He has the personality of a constantly irate, slightly drunk professor—and enough fire to burn down a castle.” 

What’s your most unusual writing habit? 
“I put my phone and Wi-Fi modem in a locked box with a timer so that I don’t feel the lure of the internet. It helps hugely.” 

What book title best describes your life? 
“The Tiger Who Came to Tea by Judith Kerr. I love to eat.”