July 2026
Every writer carries a small library within them. These are five books that have had the greatest influence on my own work.
Franz Kafka — The Metamorphosis
Kafka was probably the first writer who truly changed the way I looked at literature. I discovered The Metamorphosis as a teenager, and it has stayed with me ever since. The image of Gregor Samsa waking up as an insect remains one of the most powerful openings in world literature. What fascinates me even more is how the transformation exposes the family itself—its fears, dependencies and gradual disintegration. Despite Kafka's own doubts about the story, it became one of the defining works of modern literature.
Irvine Welsh — Trainspotting
Trainspotting showed me that literature can be raw, funny and brutal at the same time. Its fragmented structure, dark humour and uncompromising portrayal of addiction make it one of my favourite novels. I've read it several times and always discover something new.
Hunter S. Thompson — Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
This book completely ignores the boundaries between journalism and fiction. Thompson turns a road trip into a grotesque portrait of the collapse of the American Dream. His voice is chaotic, satirical and strangely honest. It proved to me that documentary writing can be every bit as imaginative as fiction.
Thomas Bernhard — Frost
Bernhard's prose is unlike anyone else's. His endless monologues, repetitions and relentless rhythm create an atmosphere that is both oppressive and hypnotic. Frost is a novel I return to because it demonstrates how style itself can become the subject of a book.
William S. Burroughs — Naked Lunch
No writer has influenced me more than William S. Burroughs. From Junkie to Interzone and finally Naked Lunch, his work continually challenged what literature could be. His cut-up experiments, fragmented narratives and refusal to follow conventional storytelling still inspire the way I approach my own writing. Burroughs taught me that literature doesn't have to explain the world—it can simply expose it.