I have just put a couple of books from this legendary author on my Christmas list. I was completely absorbed by her children’s Earthsea trilogy (as it was then) – and am planning a return visit.
More recently, I’ve discovered her ideas about a few IRL subjects that matter to me.
As well as knowing how to tell an engaging and thought-provoking story, Le Guin championed inclusion and social justice. In a speech in 2004 she said:
“…imaginative literature continues to question what heroism is, to examine the roots of power, and to offer moral alternatives. Imagination is the instrument of ethics.”
You can find the full speech – and much more – on her website, run by the Ursula K. Le Guin Literary Trust.
Which childhood books still mean the most to you?
Photo by Eileen Gunn.
