Readers Digest
Magazine subscription Podcast
HomeCultureBooksMeet the Author

Emma Freud: Books that changed my life

BY READERS DIGEST

1st Jan 2015 Meet the Author

Emma Freud: Books that changed my life

Broadcaster, journalist and director of Red Nose Day, Emma Freud tells us about the books that played an important part in her life. 

Jill’s Gymkhana

by Ruby Ferguson

br170346b-ap.jpg

I must have read this at least four times a year from the age of nine. Even now it elicits a visceral response in me—Jill’s joy in the simple pleasures of grooming her pony until he “shone like a conker” and the hard work she puts into becoming a star of the local gymkhana was magical to me.

I grew up in a noisy household, sharing a room with my four siblings, so I loved escaping into Jill’s very different life. I read all nine books in the series—as Jill grew up, so did I.

 

Summer at Gaglow

by Esther Freud 

br170346d-ap.jpg

Esther and I are first cousins but we didn’t meet and become friends until I was about 19 because our fathers (Clement and Lucian) had fallen out as adults. While our family history wasn’t discussed in our home, perhaps because so much of it was painful, Esther had a different experience and didn’t feel the need to shy away from the extraordinary stories of our past in Germany.

Instead she explores them, quietly scratching away at the surface of things to reveal the emotional truth beneath. She’s opened my eyes.

 

You Took the Last Bus Home

by Brain Bilston

br170346c-ap_0.jpg

I confess that I don’t find a lot of time for reading, so I enjoy the quick fix of poetry. I found Bilston on Twitter, and what he communicates is what I dream every poetry book could deliver: a different lens on life; a witty way of looking at what I already know and an introduction to what I don’t, which always leaves me wanting more.
 

 

Feature image via filmclub.org 

Enjoyed this story? Share it!

 

*This post contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.

This post contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you. Read our disclaimer

Loading up next...
Stories by email|Subscription
Readers Digest

Launched in 1922, Reader's Digest has built 100 years of trust with a loyal audience and has become the largest circulating magazine in the world

Readers Digest
Reader’s Digest is a member of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (which regulates the UK’s magazine and newspaper industry). We abide by the Editors’ Code of Practice and are committed to upholding the highest standards of journalism. If you think that we have not met those standards, please contact 0203 289 0940. If we are unable to resolve your complaint, or if you would like more information about IPSO or the Editors’ Code, contact IPSO on 0300 123 2220 or visit ipso.co.uk