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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Dreda Say Mitchell

Dreda Say Mitchell: ‘I’m a massive historical romance fangirl’

Jack Reacher Jane Austen Lady Macbeth Shakespeare
Dreda Say Mitchell.
‘I’ll never return to Jane Austen – I know, pure sacrilege’ … Dreda Say Mitchell. Photograph: Richard Saker/The Guardian

My earliest reading memory
I don’t have an individual book; what I have is a whole building. I grew up on a council estate in the East End of London and one of my earliest memories of books was my mum sending me and my siblings off to Whitechapel Library. Any children’s book I wanted! What an adventure!

My favourite book growing up
The Poldark novels by Winston Graham. I devoured this series about love, betrayal, class, revenge, the windswept sea lashing the rugged Cornish coastline. Nothing beats family drama.

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