Lisa O'Donnell

Lisa O'Donnell won the Orange Screenwriting Prize in 2000 for The Wedding Gift and, in the same year, was nominated for the Dennis Potter New Screenwriters Award. Her new book, The Death of Bees, is her first novel. A native of Scotland, O'Donnell is now a full-time writer and lives in Los Angeles with her two children.

Recently I asked the author about what she was reading.  Her reply:

I’m reading The Light Between Oceans but I can’t give too much away without clanging about with spoilers. Needless to say the writing is beautiful.

I’m also reading The Good Women of China - Hidden Voices by Xinran. An unforgettable story written by a journalist documenting heroic, often times tragic stories of women living in China, past and present. These are shared tales from the bravest and strongest of women documented by an extraordinary journalist who risks her freedom in the minefield of restrictions imposed on journalists in China in order to reach women across the world.

Further to this I’m reading How Do Dinosaurs say Merry Christmas? by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague to my kids. Then there’s Julia Donaldson writer of The Gruffalo books. I’ve known many a happy hour reading to my enthralled children her tales of witches and giants. I am also huge fan of Michael Morpurgo who wrote Kensuka’s Kingdom. It is an incredible book. My son loves it. He’s a little older and embracing Dahl right now. Writing for children isn’t easy and not anything I intend to pursue, but I so admire those authors who can.

Learn more about The Death of Bees at Lisa O'Donnell's website.

The Page 69 Test: The Death of Bees.

--Marshal Zeringue