Selfridges has launched its own library this week, as part of a Words Words Words campaign to celebrate the importance of the written word. The initiative has the backing of a string of famous names, including Sophie Dahl, Thandie Newton and photographer Rankin. They've revealed their most inspirational books, some of which we've shortlisted below. So whether it's literary motivation you're after, or simply an insight into what kind of books tickle these famous people's taste buds, read on to find out more...
Click here to read about the launch of Selfridges' library
Picture credit: Rex Features
The story of the transition of a teenage girl into womanhood, this book tells the tale of Joss Grey, a 16-year old English girl, who finds herself responsible for the care of her three younger siblings on holiday in Épernay, France.
Sophie says, "Godden writes about the brink of adolescence so beautifully and this is the quintessential coming of age story set in summer time France. It’s a book full of longing."
This novel by the American author F. Scott Fitzgerald takes place following the First World War. It is centered on American society and how it enjoyed prosperity during the “roaring” 1920s as the economy soared.
Miranda says, "This book made me appreciate the beauty of language for the first time."
The novel is written as a lifelong series of journals kept by the protagonist, Logan Mountstuart who is a write. Boyd uses the diary form as a means of exploring how public events impinge on individual consciousness.
Rankin says "It’s a book that is funny, sad and intimate in equal measure. I felt as though I were side-by-side with Logan throughout the book. He has such a diverse life, full of mystery, hilarity and pain. It’s very poignant."
Focusing on the most iconic and acclaimed designs of his prolific career, this book examines McQueen’s technical virtuosity and use of traditional tailoring and dressmaking practices. This book also focuses on the highly sophisticated narrative structures found in McQueen’s collections and in his extravagant runway presentations.
This novella tells the tragic story of George and Lennie, two displaced migrant ranch workers during the Great Depression in California, and how they hope to one day attain their shared dream of owning their own piece of land.
Mukiwa: A White Boy in Africa, is a memoir about growing up in Southern Rhodesia in the 1960s and 1970s during the Rhodesian Bush War.
Set in 17th century London, the novel is about the journey of a mother and her protégé as they journey in a space-time flux across the seas to find exotic fruits such as bananas and pineapples; and across time with glimpses of "the present."
Crime and Punishment focuses on the mental anguish and moral dilemmas of Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov, an impoverished ex-student in St. Petersburg who formulates and executes a plan to kill a pawnbroker for her money.
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