My first interview with friend & parent Nat Bennett

Good Morning/Evening people.

I hope all is well?

Well it is Friday again and my first interview is here.

Natalie is now a dear friend, whom I met in University, we hit it off right away and feel virtually inseperable. Obviously we have different tastes in books and tv, but diversity is a good thing.
Here is the interview which took place via e-mail on Monday.


Question 1 - If possible what was the first book you remember reading?

Nat - My nursey rhyme collection & Alice In Wonderland.

Question 2 - When did you notice you had the 'reading bug'?

Nat - From a very early age, I have always been interested in books. Each week from the age of 8, I would spend my money on a book, every Saturday I'd spend hours looking in the little bookshop in town. I remember getting really excited when a new Point Horror book was released.

Question 3 - As a child, who were your favourite authors?

Nat - Roald Dahl, Lewis Carroll, Rudyard Kipling, R.L. Stine & Richie Tankersley Cusack.

Question 4 - Name one author you'd like to meet, living or dead?

Nat - Well I'd like to meet three and they are - Emily Dickenson, Sylvia Plath & Jane Austen.

Question 5 - What was your childhood view on reading?

Nat - Escapism from the realities life brought. When you open a book you become lost in another world, that is what has always held my interest. Reading is a pleasure, and can also make life a little brighter, especially if you can relate to the character in the book and of course the plotline.

Question 6 - As a teen, what kind of books were you into?

Nat - Ghost stories and horror. I had the whole collection of Point Horror books. They were wonderful stories, scary and haunting too, but it was what I liked.

Question 7 - What or who would you say influenced your reading? And why?

Nat - Life has influenced my reading, when you are feeling down or the world around you is in turmoil, reading helps you escape from inner demons and torment.

Question 8 - Has your taste in reading evolved as you have grown older?

Nat - I have grown to love good literature, I understand now that there are many many layers to a good classic piece of writing, I endeavour to unfold each text I read and put myself in the authors position, why did he/she write it from this point of view. I often wonder what I would have written differently and why. I appreciate the classics, studying literature for my degree has influenced the type of book I chose to read.

Question 9 - Name one book you couldn't live without?

Nat - Jane Austen.

Question 10 - Name one author the world would be lost without?

Nat - Charles Dickens.

Question 11 - As a parent, do you influence your child's reading?

Nat - I am very lucky in regards to my childs reading, he is a real bookworm. from a very young age he would choose a book and study the pictures, his reading is excellent and he loves a challenge. he enjoys comical books with graphics which are brightly coloured.

Question 12 - What was the first book you read to your child?

Nat - The Gingerbread Man.

Question 13 - If you could give your child one book, what would it be?

Nat - The Gruffalo By Julia Donaldson.

Question 14 - Do you thinksociety has an issue with children reading?

Nat -  No, I think all good schools promote the importance of reading, this is seen through the world book days and studying books at school. the Education Authority encourages children to read, and I believe this to be an excellent gift.

Question 15 - Final question - Do you think children find reading boring and obsolete?

Nat -  I think it's possible that some children find reading boring, I think parenting has a great deal to do with whether children read or not. As a parent it is your duty to your child to introduce them to meaningful texts and show them the books that are on offer. it doesnt have to cost anything, the library is free to all.


Thankyou so much Nat for that insightful interview. It has been a pleasure getting to know your in's and out's of reading and everything to do with it.

That's the interview for this week, but tomorrow I am doing my weekly book review, this weeks books are Warhorse By Micheal Morpurgo and quite a contraversial book - Junk By Melvin Burgess.

And tune in next week for the next blog where I shall be interviewing self published author Annie Christensen, where we shall be talking books, influences, early reading and her current book - 'Six Minutes Past Midnight', which is a spell binding book full of adventure, comedy and friendship.