Dear Michelle,
I am getting in touch on behalf of the school library at Gosforth Academy in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. We are working on a project for World Book Day this March and are asking authors our students love to answer one question: What do books give us that nothing else can?
We would be delighted to hear your thoughts.
If you are able to spare a few moments to contribute to our project, we would be thrilled.
Thank you very much for your time and any contribution you may be able to offer.
Kind regards,
Michelle Smith
Library Assistant

Dear Michelle Smith, This is a great question, and I’ve taken a while to reply because I’ve found it surprisingly hard to put into words.  But here’s my attempt… A book can give you excitement, shivers, comfort and escape.  It lets you experience what it’s like to be another creature – whether that’s an animal, a person, or a made-up monster – far more intensely than you ever could in a computer game or a film.  You get inside their skin.  You feel what they’re feeling.  You have their adventures.  That’s why, if you find a book which really holds your attention, it can become a companion that will stay with you for life.

I hope you get lots of replies from other authors, and that some of them are a bit pithier than mine!  Good luck with the project for World Book Day.  With very best wishes, Michelle