I Wish I’d Written: Stewart Foster

Stewart Foster chooses a book so good he owns three copies.

The book I wish I’d written. Argh, so hard, but then, it’s not, because three books jump out at me, for different reasons. As a child, it was easily The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (CS Lewis), so much so that I’d check my wardrobe every night for a door, before flipping my bedroom rug to check for crocodiles (weird, I know). In recent years, I’ve loved David Almond’s Skellig, for the simplicity of words that convey such deep emotions. If ever I get stuck with my own writing, I always read that book to remind me that brilliant writing doesn’t have to be full of complicated sentences and big words.

But the book that beats these two to top spot for me is Holes by Louis Sachar. Somehow, over the years, where I’ve forgotten to pack it to go on holiday, or a week visiting schools, I’ve ended up with three copies on my shelf.

I love the barren desert, the scary warden and his dark glasses. The mystery of why a group of abandoned children are armed with shovels digging holes under a burning sun. Just a brilliant story with a big twist in its tail. And yes, I admit it, it took me ages to realise that Yelnats was Stanley spelt backwards. In fact, I think it was one of my daughters who told me but hey it didn’t ruin a great book.

Holes by Louis Sachar is published by Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 978-1408865231, £7.99 pbk.

Pieces of Us by Stewart Foster will be available from all good bookshops from 27th February 2025.