Queen Camilla makes reading 'sexy'
Author Sir Ben Okri has praised Queen Camilla for making reading "sexy".
Queen Camilla has been praised for making reading "sexy".
The 76-year-old royal - who is patron of a number of literacy charities and launched her own online book club, The Reading Room, in January 2021 - hosted authors shortlisted for the Booker Prize at Clarence House ahead of the presentation ceremony on Sunday (26.11.23), and author Sir Ben Okri paid tribute to how the queen's love of the written word has inspired others to pick up a book.
Ben was quoted by the Daily Telegraph newspaper as saying: “She sets a very good public example, she makes reading sexy, and makes it appealing to the public, and makes it something that you ought to do.
“It’s very, very important, reading, literacy needs all the help it can get...
“We know that stories told well and truthfully can shake the world and bring quiet liberation. We know literature is a force for good in an ever darkening world.”
During his speech, the novelist hailed Camilla as someone who “loves reading and who also champions the rights of writers to write freely and unfettered, for a fairy tale is not an unreal fact, taking place in a real world."
He added: "It is a transformative act taking place in a resistant world.
"Magic is only possible because reality is hard. And all fairy tales take place against the background of what [Arthur] Schopenhauer would call the suffering of the world."
Camilla - who was asked to look after the trophy until Sunday's prize-giving ceremony - gave a speech of her own, in which she thanked the assembled authors for helping to "enhance" people's lives.
She said: “I just wanted to say thank you to all the writers who enhance our life, we couldn’t do without you all.
“I’ve always said reading is an escapism, whatever is happening in your life, and if you feel it’s difficult to cope with, you can pick up a book and just go off into another world.
“So if it wasn’t for all of you, and all the publishers, and all the agents that help you put your books on the map, it would be a very sad world.”
