My childhood wasn’t easy. My dad had been badly affected by his wartime experiences and I was often anxious at school. I felt different from other kids and struggled with my schoolwork. But luckily I knew how to escape… I would go to the library and spend a long time searching for exactly the right book. When I found that book I would know. It was as if that book had been waiting especially for me. Waiting to invite me inside. I would find a quiet corner and when I opened the cover, it felt like opening a door into another world, inhabited by extraordinary people. Books were my escape hatch. Books were my education. Books were my lifeline. Later, when I left school, I discovered that being different is a strength not a weakness. As I grew in confidence, I discovered my abilities as a writer and an artist, and it seemed natural to create my own books. Guess what? There’s a book out there waiting especially for you. All you have to do is find it. All you have to do is open the cover and step inside. Books make us wiser, kinder, funnier and happier. Words are wings, so fly away.
Laurence Anholt
