NBW 2013: Books Are Doorways by Nerine Dorman

Nerine Dorman is a Cape Town-based author and editor. By day she works as a sub-editor and writer for a national newspaper publisher. At night she weaves tales of darkness and despair while finding new and unique ways to torment the authors with whom she works. Her published fiction includes the Khepera series and Inkarna, among others. She is the editor of the Bloody Parchment anthologies and a founder member of the Adamastor Writers’ Guild. Her book reviews and author interviews regularly appear in the South African media.
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I can't really pinpoint exactly what got me started on books, except that I can't conceive of a world without books. My earliest memories involve peering at the massive teak bookshelves in my parents' dimly lit lounge, trying to decipher the titles on the spines. Even before I could read, I was certain that many secrets were hidden between the covers.
I discovered the joys of reading early, and wherever I went, I was sure to gravitate to the bookshelves. My parents bought me the old Storyteller books and cassettes, and I'd spend hours engrossed in the stories of Gobbolino the Witch's Cat, The Happy Prince and Aldo in Arcadia, among hundreds of others. I remember crying at the end of The Selfish Giant and absolutely loving the story about the girl whose beloved garden followed her when she married her prince.
I was a lonely child. I preferred to inhabit a world filled with stories and dreams. I suspect this was a way to escape the brunt of the bullying and ostracism I experienced while growing up. The stories were always preferable to real life and they were my lifeline, the library my sanctuary.
Through books I learnt about the world and its history. I could connect with past cultures or visit exotic destinations. I read stories about dragons and unicorns, or embarked on quests through fantastical realms. I was never bored, so long as I had a book. Anything could happen in a book.
It was only natural that eventually I would turn my own hand to telling stories, and this gives me as much pleasure as reading – now being empowered to create my own magic with words. When I think of all the stories that inspired me and shaped me, I start asking "What if?" and spinning out new tales. Or perhaps old tales with a fresh spin.
The realisation that many people don't read frightens me. Especially since they don't even have the first inkling of the marvellous worlds that await them. We live in an age where the transfer of information is so widely available, not just within the pages of a physical book but also at a finger's touch to a phone screen or on a computer or tablet. It's never been easier to plunge into worlds of mystery of magic.
Even if you make it your goal to read one book a month, or perhaps are a parent, to read one book a month to your child – do it. Stories tell us about ourselves and inform us about the world around us. They enrich our world and allow us to discover new things. They form part of the legacy we pass on to the next generation so that they might know us as we've gotten to know those who've gone before.

How did you get started on your journey through books?