When author, Oreoluwa George-Taylor was writing ‘Everything I Desire is for Me’, she wanted a relatable entry point: ‘Most people hate fitting rooms, and most people have tried on something that didn’t fit quite right, so I knew readers would know what I meant.’
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 didn’t learn to read until I was about six or seven—much later than my peers. For the longest time, it just didn’t click, and then, one day, it did. I read almost every Roald Dahl book, but Mathilda and The Twits were my favourites. I loved that Mathilda was a little girl like me who loved to read and loved the library. My mum was an avid reader, and she started taking me to the library once a week when I learned how to read. The library became my favourite place to visit. The novelty of choosing multiple books to take home with me never got old. I read the Roald Dahl books for at least two years every night. Sometimes, I’d skip to my favourite chapters and just re-read those before going to sleep. Eventually, I graduated to other genres, although fiction remains my favourite. Like most millennials, the Harry Potter series was arguably the cornerstone of my foray into books.
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