JOHN Terry is the Director of Chipping Norton Theatre and is the latest Oxfordshire arts figure to back the reading campaign.

He said: “Reading is a habit, a virtuous addiction, an underwater world that we must learn to navigate and thrive in. My brother hated books as a child, but the rest of the family kept gently proffering suggestions until, as a young adult, he suddenly discovered his own way into books and now reads voraciously.” ESTHER BROWNING spoke to him.

What was your favourite book when you were small and why did you love it?

I loved Hetty and Harriet by Graham Oakley, a story of two hens who run away from the battery farm and cause havoc in the human world; and The Jungle Book, full of heady stories from far-away places.

“I almost never throw books away, and I still have quite a few of the favourites from childhood.

Tell me about the books you enjoy reading now and why they appeal to you.

I can read almost anything now. I read non-fiction when I’m making theatre so that I can concentrate on the storytelling of the production – biographies of artists and politicians – and love the strange murky fiction of WG Sebald, Rushdie and Umberto Eco in between shows.

Why do you believe it is important for children to read?

It’s the best place to hide when things get tough – you can dive in to a book and disappear and let the world sort itself out for a few hours.