Nick Harkaway: I loathed Charles Dickens it nearly turned me off reading for ever'
Early and varied reading experiences shaped a lifelong, evolving love of literature and inspired a career and creative ambition through specific influential books.
Rumaan Alam: Reading JD Salinger now is like running into that particular ex at a cafe'
Lifelong reading shaped identity, with shifting favourites from childhood to challenging writers who inspired writing and enduring returns to select novelists.