I worry that people think you have to go to a university to be a good writer, which is categorically untrue. I don't think I learned how to write at Oxford. I did not go to any creative writing classes or anything. Samantha Shannon categoricallyclasscreative share on social
People question what I thought of Oxford. Students used to talk about the 'Oxford bubble' because the place can make you feel cut off from the rest of the world. I would forget there were places like London that were not centred round libraries and essays. Samantha Shannon bubblecentrecut share on social
I was a shy child, and when I was 13, I started wearing braces on my teeth. I used to be acutely self-conscious, and I think writing was a way of withdrawing into my own imagination. Samantha Shannon acutelybracechild Change image and share on social
I wanted to write a sci-fi story that would appeal to young women. Loads of girls like sci-fi, but it's more culturally associated with guys. Samantha Shannon appealculturallygirl Change image and share on social
What I like about Oxford is how small it is; it's really more of a big town than a city. Samantha Shannon bigcityoxford Change image and share on social
My English teachers gave me a copy of Atwood's 'The Handmaid's Tale' when I left high school, which has always been very special to me - it was the novel that introduced me to dystopian fiction. I'm also influenced by Edgar Allan Poe, Dickens, John Wyndham and Middle English dream-visions. Samantha Shannon allanatwoodcopy share on social