“All writers are bookworms and I’m no exception. When I’ve finished a good book I like to pass it on and share the love, but there are some books that I love too much to let go of, and will always have a place on my bookshelves, and in my heart.”
Find out more here.

Clare loves reading memoirs and autobiographies of women in wartime, and you can find some of her favourite non-fiction reads at a new site called Shepherd. Shepherd is making the experience of finding a new book more like wandering through your favourite bookshop (but online). Authors recommend five books around a topic, theme, or mood – take a look to discover what writers read when they’re looking for inspiration, or just following their obsessions.

“One of the wonderful things about writing historical fiction is that research includes not just history books, but also works of fiction written within the era you’re researching. For me, this has sparked a passion for forgotten women authors from the mid-twentieth century, to the extent that I spent a whole summer reading and reviewing the entire collection of the wonderful Dorothy Whipple.” Find out more on the Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature website.