Judi Dench's Reading List

"It's a collection of poetry, which opened my eyes to the power of verse."

"I adored The Talented Mr. Ripley, by Patricia Highsmith. My husband, Michael, bought it for me as a holiday read. I devoured it and didn't want it to end. I had to ration myself to a couple of pages a day."

"After lights out at boarding school when I was 15. I was in bed under the covers with a torch reading Rudyard Kipling's Just So Stories."

"I'll opt for National Service, by Richard Eyre. It's such an honest account of the ups and downs of running a big organization like the National Theater."

"We snuggled up under a blanket, while Michael poured himself a large vodka and tonic and read us The Mezzotint, by M.R. James. It was thrilling."