Award-winning British novelist Claire Fuller has identified a diverse range of books and authors that have influenced her development as both a reader and a writer, tracing a literary journey that spans childhood curiosity, teenage discovery and decades of creative practice.

Speaking about her earliest memories of reading, Fuller recalled regularly travelling to school by coach from her Oxfordshire village when she was five years old. One of her first reading experiences involved repeatedly reading a metal safety notice fixed to the coach seat, an everyday moment that introduced her to written language before she began exploring books more widely.

Among the works that captured her imagination during childhood was Phenomena by John Michell. Fuller said she spent hours reading its accounts of unusual and unexplained events, including stories about spontaneous human combustion, stigmata and other mysterious phenomena. The mixture of fact and folklore encouraged a fascination with the possibility that the world contained extraordinary experiences beyond everyday life.

A significant turning point came during her teenage years while participating in a school production of Under Milk Wood by Dylan Thomas. Cast as Mrs. Ogmore-Pritchard at the age of 14, Fuller said performing Thomas’s lyrical language revealed the emotional power of literature and demonstrated how carefully crafted writing could evoke profound feelings.

Fuller also highlighted Learning to Love You More, created by Miranda July and Harrell Fletcher, as a work that challenged her thinking. Built around a series of creative assignments ranging from simple observational tasks to more demanding public exercises, the project encouraged her to embrace experiences outside her comfort zone. Although some activities initially felt intimidating, Fuller said completing them proved rewarding and influenced her willingness to pursue unfamiliar creative challenges.

The novel that most inspired her to become a writer was Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle. Fuller explained that it was the first book she consciously analysed from the perspective of a writer, paying close attention to Jackson’s construction of the central character, Merricat, and the emotional impact of the novel’s narrative voice.

Her appreciation for American author Denis Johnson developed gradually. After initially feeling unconvinced by Angels, Fuller later read Train Dreams and Jesus’ Son, experiences that transformed her opinion and established Johnson among her favourite authors.

While working on her own fiction, Fuller keeps Richard Ford’s novel Wildlife close at hand. She said she frequently rereads short passages while writing as a reminder of the literary qualities she hopes to achieve in her own work.

Not every favourite book is one she intends to revisit. Fuller praised Larry McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove but acknowledged that its considerable length makes rereading unlikely, given the number of other books she hopes to explore.

In recent years, Fuller has also begun reading literary classics she missed earlier in life. As part of that personal project, she started with Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, describing the experience as thoroughly enjoyable.

Alongside her own writing career, Fuller runs a book club at the Cabinet Rooms in Winchester. Among the group’s selections is Stephen King’s The Stand, which members are reading gradually over the course of a year. Fuller said she continues to look forward to returning to the novel between discussions.

Reflecting on the books that have remained important throughout different stages of her life, Fuller’s selections reveal influences drawn from poetry, literary fiction, psychological suspense, creative experimentation and classic literature. Together, they illustrate how reading experiences accumulated over decades continue to shape both her personal outlook and her approach to writing fiction.