I READ* by… Nick Hodgson
1. Your favourite genre of reading matter: fiction, poetry, biography, comic, other?
I like history books such as Empire by Niall Ferguson and Peter Ackroyd’s London, but I also read all sorts of fiction. My favourite genre is dystopian fiction: 1984, Brave New World, The Chrysalids, A Clockwork Orange, Animal Farm.
2. Favourite book about music?
The Manual (How to Have a Number One the Easy Way) by Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty. It came out in 1988 when the authors had reached number one as The Timelords with the song ‘Doctorin’ the Tardis’. They later became the KLF. In it they guarantee that as long as you follow every single rule you WILL have a number one single. This includes what time you must wake up and that you must be on the dole.
3. The book that has influenced you the most?
I read The Importance of Being Earnest when I was seventeen and paraded around for a couple of weeks like a cad. It went very well with the Britpop scene. The book that influenced me the most though is The Manual (see above).
4. Your favourite character(s) in literature?
Bertie Wooster.
5. Favourite place to buy books?
Clerkenwell Tales and Eastside Books.
6. Best book cover?
A Clockwork Orange.
7. Most well-thumbed?
I got obsessed by a book called Endless Energy by Fiona Agombar in about 2001. It’s non--fiction and contains a wealth of instruction about how to beat fatigue. The best tips were eat fruit, drink water and take a cold shower. I haven’t slept since.
8. Your favourite children’s book?
Roald Dahl’s The Twits. When I was about eight or nine I started to copy the whole thing out for some reason. I can’t think why.
8. Last book you bought?
Murder on the Orient Express. I bought it on the Orient Express from Venice to London. It cost far too much but is a splendid hardback copy.
9. Do you read on the toilet? If yes, what do you read?
Yes, always. I will hold it in until I find something suitable. Sometimes I read ingredients in shampoo/shower gel etc. My preference though is for Private Eye and Leeds United programmes.
*Nick Hodgson is the drummer and chief songwriter for the Kaiser Chiefs. Most recently he has co-written songs with Duran Duran and Mark Ronson.
