Technologist and author of The Bold New Normal, Lucy Quist, was drawn to stories about complex social change from an early age: ‘I did not always understand the subject matter but inevitably learned lessons that have informed my approach to how we can transform our world.’
First Draft is our interview column, featuring authors and other prominent figures on books, reading, and writing.
Our questions are italicized.
What books or kinds of books did you read growing up?
I was a curious child and, growing up, I read several books on different topics. When I was seven or eight years old, my father bought me a copy of Shehu Shagari’s biography by David Williams. He was the first democratically elected president of Nigeria after the transfer of power from military rule. At the time we lived in Nigeria, so he was technically our president. It is the only book I still have from that early in life. I recently picked it up to leaf through and I realized, with a more mature mind, the way the story of Nigeria is woven into the pages.
I grew up feeding on subjects that tackled how change needed to happen and how complex the execution of change can be. I did not always understand the subject matter but inevitably learned lessons that have informed my approach to how we can transform our world.
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