So, when did the writer dream form? I was a kid who liked to write stories. My dad showed me and my brother how to make books out of cardboard and paper. I read widely, enjoying Jacqueline Wilson, Judy Blume and a variety of different authors. I felt at home in Handsworth library, where I would walk out with a pile of books. When I was in year six, I wrote a story I’d written at my teacher’s invitation. He said, “you should be a writer.” In that moment, it all made sense.
Was there anyone who poured into you as a young person? What did they say to you?