Anne of Green Gables inspires

Claire Mabey is the director of Wellington’s Verb Festival which includes the popular LitCrawl.

A self-confessed book nerd, Claire also plans the writers programme for the Aotearoa New Zealand Arts Festival.

When she’s not juggling festival guests, Claire offers ‘‘bibliotherapy’’ sessions.

She spends time with someone talking about what they like to read and then comes up with a reading list for them.

Which book had such an impact on you that you bought it for your friends?

I have a few of these . . . I am a big fan of Shonagh Koea, an Aotearoa writer of what you might call domestic fiction. I think her stories are dark, funny, persistent in their feminism and unashamedly situated in the home. I buy second-hand copies of her novels whenever I see them and hand them to friends. I also love my copy of Jessa Crispin’s The Creative Tarot which I’ve posted to friends over the years. And for little readers I love giving Margaret Mahy stories like The Witch in the Cherry Tree, and JAM.

When it comes to a memorable book, what is more important, a great plot or great characters?

I think that memorable books stay with you for so many different reasons. Plot might be something, but characters can lodge themselves with you and take on a life of their own. But for me, it’s often the atmosphere of the book, the feelings you get when you call it up. And the visual environments too: The settings, the houses, the spaces that you imagine those characters occupying.

What book do you go back to time and time again to re-read?

I re-read Anne of Green Gables, and Persuasion by Jane Austen, and Potiki by Patricia Grace. I also love re-reading Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials series – it’s such rich escapism. I’m a mum of a 3-year-old so I’m re-reading books every night, which is something I’d forgotten about childhood!

Which authors would you want in your book club?

Lauren Groff, Pip Adam, Nadine Hura, Isa Ritchie, Anahera Gildea, Elizabeth Knox, Jane Austen, Doireann Ni Ghriofa, Sylvia Townsend Warner, Johanna Knox, Kirsten McDougall, Megan Dunn . . . there are many more. I love talking with writers about books!

What book did you read as a child or teen that had a profound effect on you?

Anne of Green Gables had a huge impact on me. It can’t really be understated how important it is to see yourself in a book. I’m red-headed which wasn’t always a joy in Aotearoa back in the day. When I read Anne, her passions, and emotions and ambitions with her red-headedness just made me feel like I’d found a role model. Someone who struggled with herself but whose ups and downs were impossible to suppress. I think she’s a phenomenal creation, particularly for teenagers: It’s quite rare to read a character who is allowed to be so free with her anger, love and insecurity, and for that story to lead into adulthood and eventually into the story of her own children.

What kind of books do you like to read for enjoyment?

‘‘It can’t really be understated how important it is to see yourself in a book.’’

Claire Mabey

I enjoy reading all books. But if I’m really wanting to just escape and be immersed then I love middle fiction – I’ve just been reading Ataria Sharman’s Hine and the Tohunga Portal which was a real gem to disappear into.

Do you read physical books or digital ones?

I only read digital ones if I have to. For me there’s something really obstructive about digital books. My brain just doesn’t absorb them as efficiently and there’s something about the inability to flick back and forth that annoys me. So, yes, hard copies all the way.