MY READING CORNER

Yomi Adegoke

We’re fascinated by the curious ritual of reading and how creating a space to read often can be an anchor in our days, weeks and months and how it can inspire the mundane with something magical.We take five minutes with author and journalist Yomi Adegoke to debate dog ears over bookmarks and discover how she prioritises reading as a way of learning and making sense of the world.



Where is your favourite spot to read at home? What makes it such a good reading corner? 
I love reading at my desk - it looks right out into the garden and is next to my bookshelf. 

What is it about your reading corner that allows for stillness and escaping to another place? 
I would say you have to curate that sensation - it doubles up as where I do my makeup and work so when it's time to read I light a candle, get in my dressing gown and settle down in silence.

What time of day is sacred reading time for you? 
I just read whenever I can as I'm all over the place usually - when I commute tends to be my favourite time to read as it feels like a productive use of time. 

How do you display books at home? Do things have an order or process to them?  
I have two bookshelves - a big one in my living room and a smaller one in my bedroom and there's no rhyme or reason as to how they're displayed!

The elusive question - how do you decide what book to read next? 
I'm sent several books a month, so usually read them based on hype but not general hype, hype from my friends who are all telling me to read the same thing.

What is the reason for putting reading at the centre of your life? 
Reading is constant learning and that's something I always want to be at the centre of my life.



 

“Reading is constant learning and that's something I always want to be at the centre of my life.”
By @hoodceramics
By @moussem

Quickfire


The book you’d most like to pass on to everyone you know:  
At the moment it's Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan.

Dog ear pages or bookmarks: 
I prefer bookmarks but am a philistine and don't own any, so dog ear pages. 

The most hopeful book you’ve read: 
In recent times, Becoming by Michelle Obama

Favourite bookshop in the world: 
The massive Foyles on Tottenham Court Road in London. 

The person you most like to interview: 
I've interviewed so many of my favourite people and yet Rihanna still eludes me :( 

A scent that makes you think of home: 
Literally any scented candle - I have so many I could quite easily start selling them as a side hustle at this point!

If you could spend a day reading in any in the world, which house would you choose?
The actors Daveed Diggs and Emmy Raver-Lampman's LA home - I saw it on an Architectural Digest cover a few months ago and was awed! 

@yomiadegoke
Vase image by @delajardin