Siri Hustvedt

The complexity of the human mind is at the heart of her work – which encompasses poetry, short stories and art history as well as the sciences. Hustvedt’s prolific writing career has been forged despite suffering from crippling migraines (one of which lasted a year) and shaking seizures. Nevertheless, she says, ‘Without my strangenesses, I might not have become a writer, so as with many afflictions sometimes there are reasons to celebrate.’ She was married to the Booker Prize nominee Paul Auster and her daughter Sophie is a lauded singer-songwriter.