Bianca Spender always finds herself drawn to more to fact rather than fiction - she chooses her books very carefully. When she is sitting down and ready to delve into the pages of a good book, she'll prefer anthropology or history over tales of adventure. The last book she finished reading was The Artists Way all about pursuing creativity as a way to heal. And the she says that the book that changed her life was Welcoming the Unwelcoming, an exploration of how life impact the environment.

Below, she reveals why she loves Kya from Where the Crawdads Sing and shares the books she loved as a child.

 

 

The last book I read …

I’ve recently finished reading The Artists Way which explores creativity and how to pursue it as a form of remedy. One of the concepts the book looks at is journaling as soon as you rise. Each morning I’ve been practicing writing without letting the pen stop, allowing me to accept and pursue my ideas without my own internal critique.

 

I am currently reading …

At the moment I’m reading The Overstory, by Richard Powers. It encompasses the age-old wisdom of trees and principles of nature being intertwined with our lives and how the roots of trees grow and live symbiotically alongside us. It has very much opened my eyes and heart to nature always being around me.

 

My favourite book …

I’m always drawn to philosophical and anthropological books so I would say, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind. It delves into how the currents of history have shaped society, animals and the plants and the civilisation around us.

 

My actual favourite book …

Being dyslexic I’m quite a slow reader and this holds me back from indulging in guilty pleasure reading! I chose my books carefully and find inspiration in asking my book worm friends what their favourite read is of the year.

 

 

The character I most identify with is …

I was deeply moved by the leading female character in Delila Owens’, Where The Crawdads Sing. The story follows Kya, who is raised part wild and abandoned by her family when she is only young. She is a recluse from society but is at one with nature and completely immersed in the natural world.

She catalogues feathers, leaves and stones she comes across in her travels and creates her own unique world. I love how she is always looking at nature; noticing movement in the brushes, picking up a fallen feather or leaf, observing wildlife and listening to the environment talking to her.

I have an affinity to the feeling of connection to the natural environment and the wildness and freedom of Kya’s character.

 

The book that changed my life is …

I would say Welcoming The Unwelcome by Pema Chodron. It explores the journey of life and how to influence our environment in positive ways. I was so deeply touched by its beautiful teachings, which explore how to breathe in pain and how to find ground in a seemingly groundless place. I think these are such crucial learnings for how we walk through life, especially during these times of widespread challenge and change.

 

The best book I ever received is…

For me I’m drawn to writing that inspires me to be more of a dreamer and can reinvent the way I look at the world and think about creativity differently. My partner, Sam, recently gifted me The Wind Up Bird Chronicle by Murakami which is totally crazy, magical, and amazing and since then I’m devoted and have read most of his books

 

The book I would give as a gift is …

Impossible Conversations. It’s from an exhibition at The Met and consists of quotes from Elsa Schiaparelli and Muiccia Prada and images of their work. You see how these two women were pushing the boundaries of fashion in similar ways at different times to introduce radical ideas like “ugly-chic” and surrealism in fashion.

This book is always in my living room, and I find a new vignette or conversation each time I pick it up.

 

My childhood favourite book …

As a child, Roald Dahl was my favourite author. His storytelling paints such a vivid picture - scaring children just enough while also captivating and transporting them. I would say The Witches was always a favourite of mine.

 

My favourite writer is …

Anne Hollander who is an Art Historian who has written some highly insightful fashion books, like; Seeing Through The Eyes of Clothes, Sex in Suits and Fabric of Vision. She’s the writer I’ve learnt the most from in terms of how the worlds of art, fashion, physiology and psychology intersect and how this is reflected in the way we represent ourselves. I have always had a deep connection to clothes so I love how she explores the attitudes of society and unfolds how this is mirrored through fashion.

 

The book everyone should read at least once is…

Nomi Wolf’s Vagina: A New Biography. It looks at the history of women, femininity and the challenges our sex has faced throughout history. As a society we are aware of the inequalities between women and men, and despite the gap narrowing, there is still a long way to go.

Vagina is such a crucial read as it explores the complete experience of women over time and what it is to be a woman in what has always been defined as a man’s world. It is my hope that reading this will excel some of the difficult conversations about how to address the deep inequalities in society.