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• What does reading mean to you?

I love to read and I think it is because it helps me think about the world. Apart from that, I also really enjoy observing the characters in literature and the cleverness of the writing. 

• Which book has made an impact on your life?

I think there are many, but we have to choose one, so I choose Plato’s Republic. Sometimes I tell my students Plato was my first love and then they look at me strangely (laughs). I think growing up, I had a strong longing for understanding and for justice. When I read Plato as a university student, he really made an impact because of his understanding of justice: the idea that justice is not something purely subjective. Even though justice is specific to certain situations, there is also an objective element to it. I was really struck by it and it triggered some of my own intuitions about justice. 

• Would you recommend this book to students – and if not, would you recommend a different one?

I absolutely recommend it. Sometimes students start out with Plato’s Apology, a nice story that is a bit more personal. The Republic may seem daunting, but because of the way Plato writes, I actually feel it is accessible to pretty much all levels of students. 

• Has going to university or becoming a university professor changed how you read? Is reading for pleasure the same as reading for disciplinary purposes?

I find that a difficult question because my private and professional life tend to blur into one another, but when I really think about reading for pleasure, I tend to think more about literature and about Sunday afternoons enjoying literature. My professional life revolves more around political philosophy, which I also enjoy, but I feel like I need more discipline to read these texts. 

• Match favourite reading moments, referring to a place or a situation. Examples: coffee and reading, beach and reading, reading and my favourite sofa, reading after dinner…

Where I live I have a really nice sunroom with a guest bed. This is my favorite place to read and relax. Another place is the classroom: I enjoy it when students catch on to a reading and we discuss it. I am energized when students bring their own perspective to the text.