If you want to be a good writer, you need to read

It’s a really satisfying and rewarding part of the job to commission genuinely funny, brilliant and passionate new writers – and I’m willing to bet that every single one of them is an avid reader, writes Harriet Williamson

Don’t be content with a little... read a lot (Getty)

On returning from a blissful week’s holiday, sporting only negligible sunburn, I found my inbox bursting at the virtual seams with 500-plus unread emails. Many of them were pitches, as is absolutely expected in my role as commissioning editor for Voices.

The best pitches are those that engage me immediately with a punchy working headline and a timely news hook, from freelance writers who can bring something to the table that’s distinct from our regular columnists and the topics they usually cover.

It’s a really satisfying and rewarding part of the job to commission genuinely funny, brilliant and passionate new writers – and I’m willing to bet that every single one of them is an avid reader.