From JK Rowling to Margaret Atwood, authors pinpoint the exact moment when they were struck by a particular idea or character that formed that first, magical grain of a bestselling novel.

The big idea: bestselling authors reveal the creative secrets and inspirations behind their greatest books

JK Rowling

JRR Tolkien

Audrey Niffenegger

Stephenie Meyer

Agatha Christie

Hilary Mantel

Khaled Hosseini

Suzanne Collins

Arthur Golden

Margaret Atwood

Kazuo Ishiguro

Mark Haddon

Roald Dahl

PG Wodehouse

SJ Watson

Ian McEwan

Maurice Sendak

Markus Zusak

EB White

John Green

George Orwell

What inspired Harry Potter, Miss Marple and more

The big idea: authors reveal the secrets of their bestselling books