Mike Leigh's Reading List

With a storied career spanning more than five decades, Mike Leigh stands as one of the most esteemed filmmakers of his time. Born in England in 1943, he's renowned for his dazzling recreations of working-class British life, in a repertoire ranging from light-hearted comedies to searing social critiques. Leigh's pioneering approach involves extensive rehearsal periods with actors, eschewing traditional scripts in favor of improvisation. The deeply character-driven work that's resulted has won him Best Director at Cannes for the black comedy Naked, the Palme d'Or for the ensemble drama Secrets & Lies, and Venice's Golden Lion for the period film Vera Drake. Leigh's literary tastes bristle with the joys and sorrows of everyday life. From Upton Sinclair to Zadie Smith, find his favorites below.