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MPs Share their Summer Reading Picks

Here in the UK it’s the summer holidays for many of us. Children have broken up from school, factory workers are on their annual summer breaks and Parliament is enjoying a summer recess which of course means more reading time for us all.

British MPs have revealed their summer reading choices to The Telegraph and some of the titles chosen might just surprise you.

Jeremy Corbyn

The leader of the Labour Party is spending his summer break reading a book by Svetlana Alexievich.  Chernobyl Prayer is a collection of recollections and testimonies from those involved in the aftermath of the world’s worst nuclear disaster.

Chernobyl Prayer US
Chernobyl Prayer UK

Owen Smith

Top of Labour Leadership Challenger, Owen’s Summer reading list are the Neapolitan Novels. Written by a mysterious author under the pseudonym Elena Ferrante the four part series follows two girls through their formative years growing up in Naples.

Neapolitan Novels US
Neapolitan Novels UK

 Liam Fox

The International Trade Secretary appears to be doing a little revision during his break with A Splendid Exchange: How Trade Shaped the World by William Bernstein topping his list, but as a little light relief he has also listed Robert Harris’ Dictator as a summer reading pick.

Dictator US
Dictator UK



Nicola Sturgeon

Leader of the SNP, Nicola has a summer of Val McDermid ahead of her, described as a huge fan Out of Bounds is Nicola’s summer reading choice.

Out of Bounds US
Out of Bounds UK

Douglas Carswell

The only MP to represent UKIP is reading Sweet Caress by William Boyd; the brilliantly written tale of a woman who refuses to live life of an accessory and is determined to grasp every opportunity presented to her. Even if her father did announce her birth as being that of his first born son, and subsequently attempted to kill her.

Sweet Caress US
Sweet Caress UK

Tim Farron

The Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron is reading A Wilderness of Mirrors by Mark Meynell. Delving into the historical abuses of trust that have made the modern word cynical of everything presented to it A Wilderness of Mirrors gives us hope, and a reason to learn to trust again.

A Wilderness of Mirrors US
A Wilderness of Mirrors UK

An interesting and eclectic list from across the political party divide don’t you think.



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