Books I’d rescue: Tom Benn

Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs has been broadcasting for over 70 years. Celebrity guests are asked to become ‘castaways’ on a desert island and are allowed to choose eight pieces of music, one book and one luxury item. The programme continues to capture our imagination and many ‘castaways’ understandably struggle with the concept of only being allowed to take a single book with them.

We’ve asked some of our Dead Good authors a slightly different question. You discover a fire in the house….you have time to evacuate all your loved ones safely, grab some vital possessions, and as many books as you can carry in your hands from your beloved collection. Which books do you choose?

First up with an armful of books is Tom Benn, author of bestselling novels The Doll Princess and Chamber Music. Are any of your favourite books amongst Tom’s choices?:

1. Jane Austen – Mansfield Park
2. Jean Rhys – Good Morning, Midnight
3. William Faulkner – Light in August
4. Alan Moore – From Hell
5. Alan Garner – Red Shift
6. Dashiell Hammett – Red Harvest
7. Ted Lewis – Jack’s Return Home
8. Jonathan Swift – Gulliver’s Travels
9. William S. Burroughs – Queer
10. Frank Norris – McTeague

Further reading: Dead Good Tunes: Tom Benn’s music playlist to accompany his new novel Chamber Music