Hilary Mantel “I remember the first time I read Jane Eyre: probably every woman writer does, because you recognise, when you have hardly begun it, that you are reading a story about yourself.”
[excerpt from Giving up the Ghost by Hilary Mantel]

I remember the first time I read Jane Eyre too. I must have been about 12 or 13, and I still retain a clear picture in my mind of Jane and Helen cuddled together in a hard wooden bunk. I’m not sure I thought it was a story about me, though.

If you agree with Hilary Mantel, perhaps you will agree with:-
Frederick Forsyth – all authors are separate, taking notes, watching
Antony Gormley – everybody says what does it mean, but what does life mean?
Deborah McKinley – the lean years focussed me on what I really wanted

 

‘Giving up the Ghost’ by Hilary Mantel [UK: Fourth Estate]

And if you’d like to tweet a link to THIS post, here’s my suggested tweet:
Do you remember the 1^st time you read JANE EYRE? Hilary Mantel does #writing via @SandraDanby http://wp.me/p5gEM4-cQ