My mum read Bambi to me before I could read, and later I read it to myself again and again. In the Suffolk countryside where I grew up, I would often spot deer in the fields. This book made me stop and study the animal tracks (痕迹) on the ground and made me think about the world around me in a different way.

The novel is nothing like the sickly animated movie that came later. It doesn’t turn the deer into cartoon, rather, it gives nature a voice, letting us in on the mysteries of its beautiful, secretive world, where even the leaves have something to say.

I read this relatively recently when I was doing research for my novel The Unravelling. Reading it feels a little like sitting by the fire in a pub on a cold night, a pint of beer in your hand, listening to one of the locals telling attractive stories.

At face value, the book is a written and photographic record of a journey across East Anglia. But within each corner? You discover other stories, a hidden history of the world you thought you knew. Reading it made the landscape I have known all my life transform before my eyes.

I’ve read this book every couple of years since I studied it for English A Level. Each chapter is a story in itself, a special fairytale love letter to the Fens and marshland so real that you can smell it and taste it on your tongue. At 16 years old, it was the first novel I read that made me see the landscape as a character in its own right, and it was finally the novel that made me want to become a writer.

Woody Williams of Charlotte, North Carolina is simply Woody Williams, a retired graphic artist and musician who plays in local clubs and bars. But online, the 72-year-old is known as Funky Geezer (时髦老头), and he’s got more than 3 million followers on TikTok alone!

In December 2020, Woody was staying in his home to avoid catching the COVID-19, just like everybody else. He found himself with more free time than usual, and since he couldn’t go to perform in a club or jam with any bands, he decided to check out what was happening online. He downloaded TikTok and uploaded a short video of himself doing a little dance. The likes and comments started pouring in, and before he knew it, his video had been viewed millions of times!

Encouraged, Woody leaned in to his Funky Geezer persona (人设), uploading more videos to his channel. He enjoys connecting with people again, and always loves putting on a show to make others smile.

Funky Geezer has now gone viral more than once, and he’s got a large following across all of his social channels. He’s even getting requests to bring his dance moves to foreign lands, although he’s not sure he’ll be traveling much beyond his usual circles.

“I was asked to do shows in Canada, England and Micronesia,” he said. “I don’t even know where Micronesia is.”

Woody says he doesn’t run his “Funky Geezer Show” for fame or fortune; he simply wants to put a smile on someone’s face! “My motto is to inspire until you die,” he said, adding, “I am just encouraging the newbies to come up, grab their guitar, and get involved, express themselves.”