Emilia Clarke: the book that changed me

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BAFTA-winning actor Emilia Clarke, best known for playing the Mother of Dragons in the TV drama series Game of Thrones, discusses the book that provided her with much-needed literary escapism. During lockdown, Emilia discovered the work of the late British novelist and essayist, Jenny Diski. When Emilia recommended Jenny’s essay collection Why Didn’t You Just Do What You Were Told? to her followers on Instagram, she caught the attention of poet and academic Dr. Ian Patterson, who was married to Jenny until her death in 2016. Ian and Emilia were brought together in a moving conversation to discuss Jenny's work and how writing can allow those we've lost to live on. (Photo: Actor Emilia Clarke. Credit: Robert Ascroft)