Sally Gardner: The Bloody Chamber

This month, writer and illustrator Sally Gardner chooses a book for us. Sally’s children’s books have delighted young readers in the UK and have been translated into more than 22 languages. Her novel, ‘Maggot Moon’ (Hot Key Books 2012), won both the Costa Children’s Book Prize and the Carnegie Medal 2013.  Sally also won the 2005 Nestle Children’s Book Prize for her debut novel ‘I, Coriander’.

Sally also writes under the name Wray Delaney for adults, and her most recent book, The Beauty of the Wolf, was published on 21 February 2019.

The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter
 
The Bloody Chamber was one of the most inspirational books to me. It was visual writing at its highest ability. For me it was like watching paint go down on a canvas, and relishing the colours and textures to be found there. It’s an incredibly sexy collection of writing, which does that strange and quite unique thing; play to women’s erotica.