Sophie Hannah
From a Q & A between Ali Karim and Sophie Hannah at The Rap Sheet:
AK: You are a renowned poet. How did you find yourself working in the crime-fiction field?Read the full interview.
SH: I’ve always wanted to write crime fiction. One of the reasons why it took me so long was that I wanted to wait until I felt I could write a really good crime novel. When I was 18, I wrote two really bad crime novels, and it was obvious that I couldn’t do it at that point in my life. But I knew it was something that I always wanted to do, as I am an obsessive crime reader. I read practically nothing but crime fiction. I just love the crime-thriller genre.
AK: So what books have you favored in this genre, and who influenced your evolution from reader to writer?
SH: I think it’s easier to say who you like, rather than who you are influenced by. I am huge fan of Agatha Christie. Apart from Enid Blyton with her “Secret Seven” books, Christie was the first crime writer I read; in fact, I read all her books and I collect her work. Then I went from Christie to Ruth Rendell; I read all of hers and again collected all her books. Those two writers have been my biggest influences.
Sophie Hannah is a bestselling poet and novelist who regularly performs her work both in the U.K. and abroad.
The Page 69 Test: Hurting Distance.
The Page 69 Test: Little Face.
My Book, The Movie: Little Face and Hurting Distance.
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