The actor chooses books from throughout his life. He will be talking about his own recent novel, “All Wrapped Up“, at the Bradford Literature Festival on 28 June.
A Bright Shining Lie
Neil Sheehan, 1988
In 1968, I was selling encyclopaedias to American servicemen in Germany. Every one of them was either going to Vietnam, returning from Vietnam, or doing all they could to avoid it. Reading this history-biography 50 years later opened my eyes to the reality of the horror show that thousands of young men my age had wasted their lives for.
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The Earth
Émile Zola, 1887
I’d been rebuilding a dilapidated house in a tiny farming community in Normandy, and spoke just enough French to begin to understand the differences between me and my workmates. Then, recommended by a French friend, I read this and learnt how profound those differences really are.
Damascus Station
David McCloskey, 2021
A distinguished gentleman in the upper echelons of British government and counter-espionage recommended this, and I bought it on the spot. Although I’m not a regular reader of thrillers, I was hooked.
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Barkskins
Annie Proulx, 2016
I once lived for two years in Canada in the tribal areas of the Micmac native people, but barely got to know anything of their story. Many years later I read this novel and marvelled at my ignorance. How could I have lived somewhere so important to North America’s history and never asked questions of the people I saw every day? I consumed every word, barely pausing for sleep.
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The Usual Desire to Kill
Camilla Barnes, 2025
I was involved in the evolution of this book from a series of written sketches to a play – both funny and deeply moving – and eventually into its final form. It was a fantastic lesson in the power of the novel, taking me into the minds of characters I thought I knew, and finally telling me the real story.
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