Joelle Taylor: ‘I picked up The Weirdstone of Brisingamen in a swoon of nine-year-old despair’

Joelle Taylor's love affair with literature began at a tender age, sparked by her mother's introduction to Clement C Moore's 'The Night Before Christmas' - a poem that captured her imagination with its suspenseful rhythm and vivid illustrations. But it was a different book altogether that cemented her passion for reading: Alan Garner's 'The Weirdstone of Brisingamen', a dark fantasy novel that she devoured in a state of nine-year-old despair, drawn to the landmarks featured in the story, which were familiar to her from her local area.

As Taylor grew older, her literary tastes expanded, and she discovered the works of black female writers for the first time at university. Ntozake Shange's 'For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf' had a profound impact on her, its fusion of narrative, poetry, and choreography seismic in its influence.

Taylor's journey as a writer was also shaped by feminist publications such as Shocking Pink and Spare Rib, where she found inspiration among writers who challenged traditional narratives. Another pivotal book that caught her attention was Adrienne Rich's 'The Dream of a Common Language', which showed her the power of poetry to subvert expectations.

In later years, Taylor returned to T.S. Eliot's modernist masterpiece 'The Waste Land' after initially struggling with it as a young woman. Her reevaluation of the poem revealed its cinematic imagery and immediacy, forcing her to reconsider her preconceptions about classical literature.

Throughout her life, Taylor has been drawn to books that challenge her perceptions and broaden her understanding of the world. Judy Grahn's 'Another Mother Tongue' was another crucial work she encountered, which compelled her to explore the etymology of queer terminology. However, not all books have left a lasting impression on her - Radclyffe Hall's 'The Well of Loneliness', with its harrowing portrayal of lesbian experience, remains a difficult read.

In recent years, Taylor has discovered new authors and books that have reignited her passion for poetry. Wayne Holloway-Smith's forthcoming work 'RABBITBOX' promises to revolutionize the genre, while Harper Lee's 'To Kill a Mockingbird' has become a comfort read of sorts for her. Ghost stories, particularly those set in England, remain a staple of her reading list, with their blend of myth and history offering a unique kind of escapism.

For Taylor, literature is not just about personal connection but also about expanding one's understanding of the world - a journey that has been fueled by her love for books and her desire to challenge her own perspectives.

I'm so glad to see more women writers being celebrated ! Ntozake Shange, Adrienne Rich, and Judy Grahn are total inspirations for me . I mean, it's crazy how their work back in the day was so revolutionary, and yet we're still discovering new authors like Wayne Holloway-Smith who are pushing the boundaries of poetry . And I love that Taylor is all about exploring different genres and finding books that challenge her perspectives - that's what reading is all about for me . The thing is, though, I do worry that some of these classic works might be a bit lost on younger readers who aren't exposed to them in school... still, I think there's something special about experiencing a book like 'The Well of Loneliness' when you're older, and it can really make an impact .

she's so lucky to have had such an amazing book introduction as a kid i mean, who doesn't love 'the night before christmas'?! anyway, it's awesome that she found those dark fantasy novels that resonated with her and got her into reading more. i'm not surprised she loved ntozake shange's work tho - those poems are like the ultimate feminist anthems

I'm so down with Joelle Taylor's book choices - I mean who wouldn't want to dive into the weird & wonderful worlds of Alan Garner or Adrienne Rich? Her love for poetry is totally inspiring, especially when it comes to exploring queer terminology like in Judy Grahn's "Another Mother Tongue". I've also been meaning to check out Wayne Holloway-Smith's new work... anyone else hyped about that one?

I'm loving this reminder of the importance of challenging our perspectives through literature - for me, that's what reading is all about! And omg, T.S. Eliot's "The Waste Land" can be such a tough nut to crack, but it's so worth re-reading when you finally get it .

What's your go-to comfort read? I'm still searching for the perfect ghost story... any recs would be awesome!

I think its so cool how Joelle Taylors journey as a writer was influenced by all these different books! Like, she found this amazing book 'The Weirdstone of Brisingamen' when she was 9 & it totally captured her imagination... now shes a renowned poet . Im glad she found inspiration in black female writers like Ntozake Shange & Adrienne Rich too - their works are so powerful!

I'm so over the new 'book club' feature on the platform . It's just another way for them to try and monetize your reading habits, you know? Like, I get it, we all love discussing books with others... but do they have to make it feel like a chore? The curated selection of books is always so bland and predictable . Where's the diversity? Where's the chance to discover something new and unexpected? It feels like they're just trying to push their own authors and titles on us, rather than letting us explore our own interests . And don't even get me started on the ' discussion prompts'... who thought it was a good idea to ask you to analyze every single theme and symbol in the book? Can't we just have a relaxed conversation about what we liked or didn't like about the story?

I just read this article about Joelle Taylor's love affair with literature and I'm thinking... what about our education system? Why aren't we learning more about diverse authors like Ntozake Shange and Adrienne Rich in school? It would've been so cool to have those books on my shelves back in uni, you know? But anyway, back to Taylor's journey... her love for poetry is super inspiring . I'm definitely gonna check out Wayne Holloway-Smith's new work "RABBITBOX" - any other book lovers know when it drops?

I'm so over how outdated the literary awards are . Like, Joelle Taylor has been reading and devouring books since she was 9, but it's only now that she's getting recognized for her work? It feels like we're still in the dark ages when it comes to recognizing female authors who have been making waves in literature for decades. And don't even get me started on the lack of diversity in the books they're highlighting . I mean, where are the authors of color? Where are the LGBTQ+ authors? It's like we're still living in a world where literature is only for the privileged few .

so joelle taylor is like this super passionate reader, right? she loves all this old poetry and literature stuff, but what i want to know is, how do we even verify the accuracy of some of these stories about her life? like, did she really only read 'the weirdstone' as a nine-year-old because it featured landmarks from her area? or was that just some juicy bio fact that someone made up?

and another thing, why does it seem like all these influential books and authors are always being rediscovered by 'important' people in the literary world? is there some kind of pay-to-play system going on here?

So they're saying Joelle Taylor's obsession with literature started when she was like 9 or something? And it was this super old poem called 'The Night Before Christmas' that got her hooked. I mean, come on, that's cute. But did you know that the book she actually loved (Alan Garner's 'The Weirdstone of Brisingamen') was way more than just a pretty story? It had actual historical landmarks and stuff! Anyway, it's interesting to see how she grew up and got into all these different authors and books... but I'm still not convinced that T.S. Eliot's 'The Waste Land' is as iconic as everyone says it is