HOME EDITION
LIFE’S A GARDEN
A haven with over 1,000 books, local writer, reader and digital creator Ova Ceren shows us inside her garden library SPACE In My
IMAGES BY OVA CEREN
Cambridge Edition: Hello Ova! Could you tell us a bit about your garden library and how it came to life? Ova Ceren: As a mother, I sometimes crave some alone time and it’s a very rare treat. When we were house hunting in 2022, I knew I wanted a space for myself and my books. The house came with a shed the former owner had used as an art studio, hence the garden library idea was born! The decision to move most of my books out of the house was delightful news for my family too, as they always complain about books being everywhere. CE: Approximately how many books do you have inside? OC: I have never counted, but I’ll take a wild guess and say about a thousand. There’s more in the house... CE: What are the essential ingredients to any good garden library? OC: For me – on top of books – a lot of clutter, a comfortable chair, pretty mugs, a writing table, a retro phone (just in case your favourite author rings) and mushrooms, of course! CE: Has the reaction to the space on social media taken you by surprise? OC: In our previous house, I had a library room which became popular on Instagram, where I had approximately 90k followers. I posted things that gave me joy and always got engagement, so I thought the garden library would receive a good reception. But I have to confess, I didn’t expect it to go
viral or be featured on pages like Reese’s Book Club.
CE: Finally, what does the space mean to you? OC: The boring answer is it’s my office! I’m writing my debut novel in it, and it’s the perfect writing shed. But it’s also where I retreat to be with myself (and my ducks). As Virginia Woolf wrote, a woman must have a room of her own, and this is mine.
See more of Ova’s garden space and follow her literary adventures at @excusemyreading
A woman must have a room of her own, and this is mine
92 APRIL 2024 CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK
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