Actress, comedienne and writer Meera Syal could measure her life in words: her Hindu Punjabi upbringing has inspired her novels and screenplays, including the semi-autobiographical Anita And Me, and she met her husband Sanjeev Bhaskar when they co-wrote and starred in the highly-regarded sitcom The Kumars At Number 42 and sketch show Goodness Gracious Me. Little wonder that she could happily "talk about books forever". She lives in London with her husband, daughter Chameli, 14, and 15-month-old son Shaan.
Alice's Adventures In Wonderland and Through The Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll
"I loved the surrealism of these books. Many kids' books are logical and literal - Janet and John, etc - but these books are completely mad: animals pop up from..."
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
"This book really made me understand prejudice: that racist and prejudiced people are often broken, damaged and sad. I'd never seen it that way; I'd always seen them as just..."
Pride And Prejudice by Jane Austen
"When I was younger I always thought, 'I'm Lizzie Bennett because I'm really bright and nobody understands that.' She's not the best-looking girl, but she's got an amazing..."
A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth
"This revolves around a Hindu Punjabi family in Delhi, where my family is from. So reading it really feels like flicking through a family album: I recognise all the..."
Beloved by Toni Morrison
"I admire Toni Morrison hugely and her brilliant blend of the political and the personal. Her emotional power is stunning, as is her knowledge of human..."
The Screenwriter's Workbook by Syd Field
"Syd Field is the definitive screenwriter. He says there are rules, but lots of great screenplays break them, so you can't ever be dogged about the way..."
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
"I read this recently and it's stayed with me. It's brilliantly conceived and, in the way that Toni Morrison does, Hosseini makes you understand..."