Freya Sampson biography

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Freya Sampson

Freya Sampson

How to pronounce Freya Sampson: FRAY-uh

Freya Sampson Biography

Freya Sampson works in television as a creator and Executive Producer. Her credits include two documentary series for the BBC about the British Royal Family, and a number of factual and entertainment series. She studied History at Cambridge University and in 2018 was shortlisted for the Exeter Novel Prize. She lives in London with her husband, two young children and an antisocial cat. The Last Chance Library is her debut novel.

Freya Sampson's website

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Interview

A letter from Freya Sampson about her debut novel, The Last Chance Library, a story about unlikely friendships and what a community can achieve when it comes together to fight to save their library from closure.

Dear Reader,

I've always loved libraries. As a young child, I would go to my local library every week to borrow books, and as a student I spent many late nights squirreled away in the university library trying to hit an essay deadline. But it wasn't until my early thirties, and the birth of my first child, that I began to appreciate just how important libraries really are.

Despite living in a bustling city, I found the early months of motherhood isolating. I didn't know many other people in the area with babies, and I was too nervous to go to cafes in case my colicky baby started to cry, disturbing paying customers. When I finally plucked up the courage to leave the house with my daughter on our own, the first place I went to was my local library. There was a children's nursery rhyme session on, and as I sat surrounded by parents and carers from all walks of life, small children running around the place, I felt welcome and unjudged.

The more time I spent in the library, the more I began to recognize the same faces that visited regularly. One particular older gentleman came in to read the newspaper. He would often try and start conversations with other people, but most avoided eye contact and ignored him. One day, I ...

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Books by this Author

Books by Freya Sampson at BookBrowse
The Lost Ticket jacket The Last Chance Library jacket
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All the books below are recommended as read-alikes for Freya Sampson but some maybe more relevant to you than others depending on which books by the author you have read and enjoyed. So look for the suggested read-alikes by title linked on the right.
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