Author Margaret Mahy. Photo / Steven McNicholl
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Author Margaret Mahy. Photo / Steven McNicholl

Margaret Mahy - Author

What is your favourite book?
That's an impossible question. But I do really like Nicholas Nickleby and other Dickens books.
Why?
They've got a lot of true things to say about life and the world, even though they're now of course very aged. I like the names of the characters and books like Nicholas Nickleby have a lot of drama.
How many times have you read it?
I must have read Nicholas Nickleby about three times, but not recently.
What is your favourite movie?
I've always been very fond of The Wizard of Oz.
Why?
I liked the transformation from black-and-white to colour when she goes into Oz. And I liked all the book characters, like the Tin Man and the Scarecrow - they were Dorothy's friends but they were all different. But I just think it was well done and I liked the songs and everything, not that I sing them, though.
How many times have you watched it?
I think it's been about four or five times now.

Footnote:
Interesting that Margaret has chosen Charles Dickens. 2012 is the bi-centenary of his birth and today we have been at the Morgan Library here in NYC where they have an exhibition to mark the occasion. The Morgan have an extensive collection of his correspondence and manuscripts.