My #StellaSpark
From the Stella Prize website: [Your] Stella Spark is the book by an Australian woman that struck a spark for you, igniting ideas, creativity and a passion for great writing. Take a photo of your Stella Spark book or share the story of why you chose it.
The moment I heard my #StellaSpark was in stock I raced (yes, raced) out and bought it because the author’s previous book is my almost #StellaSpark. The book had the most wonderful cover and inside were the most wonderful words. Oh how I loved it.
And I loved one particular line most of all. I carried it with me wherever I went. I often quoted it because it described something about myself that I had never been able to put into words.
Little did I know this book was destined for greatness. Ten months later it won the 2015 Miles Franklin Award. My #StellaSpark is The Eye of the Sheep by Sofie Laguna.
Initially my #StellaSpark did not spark creativity but an inert awe. I was frozen by it’s wonderfulness and my own creativity stumbled. Even reviewing it was impossible because the task felt too enormous. My words would never do the story justice.
Inspiration did come, slowly and forcefully, powerfully. It’s with me still. I never managed to write that review for The Reading Stack. I left that in the hands of a more capable reviewer.
The line that sparks for me whenever I think about it is this one: I ran from wall to wall, my cells spinning me around the rooms, one after another.
I know that feeling. I just didn’t know it was my cells spinning. Until I read The Eye of the Sheep.
