 My
hair colour: |
When I was little it was straw coloured, but it’s ended up brown. (My wife calls it ‘chestnut’.) | |
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My
eye colour: |
Greeny blue-ish. (Well, certainly not brown.) | |
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My
shoe size: |
15. Yes, size fifteen. I’m certainly not the best-known author you’ve interviewed by a long stretch, but I’ve probably got the biggest feet . . . and I’m 2 metres tall. | |
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My
star sign: |
I don’t believe in such bunkum. | |
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My
favourite book when child: |
That’s such a tricky one to answer, but I did love - and still love - Comet in Moominland by Tove Jansson. All her books are so magical. | |
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My
favourite fictional character: |
Sherlock Holmes. I collect Sherlock Holmes books and have some wonderfully odd editions. | |
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Books
that inspired me to become a writer: |
All sorts. I loved the incredible variety. It suggested limitless possibilities. | |
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My
favourite author: |
The answer to this one seems to change so often. | |
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My
ideal reading position: |
In the summer, in the dappled shade of a tree, with an iced drink within reach. In winter, in front of a log fire, with one of our cats purring on my lap. | |
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My
usual means of marking a place in a book: |
I collect bookmarks too, so no prizes for guessing. When I worked in a library, it was amazing what we found used as bookmarks in returned books. Stories about cooked rashers of bacon are true, believe me! | |
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My
favourite time of year: |
I love contrasts. For example, I enjoy autumn but without summer to compare it with, it wouldn’t be the same. | |
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My
favourite time of day: |
Anytime when I’ve had a good stretch of writing behind me. | |
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My
best time for working: |
When my brain’s in gear. I work long hours and some days it’s mornings when I work best, some days it’s afternoons or evenings. The trouble is, I’ve no way of knowing which it’s going to be. | |
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The
first piece of work I was paid for was: |
Apart from all that writing in advertising, it was probably a book on atoms I wrote (under a different name) in the early 1990s. | |
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My
favourite TV show: |
I love The Time Team, most American cop shows, some English costume dramas and I never miss Home & Away and Neighbours. | |
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My
favourite song: |
A song by The Beatles, I’d imagine. | |
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My
favourite actor: |
A man called Ian Holm. Whatever role he plays, I totally believe in his character. It’s an amazing skill he has. | |
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The
creature comfort I would most unwillingly relinquish: |
Hmm. Can I think about this one? | |
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My
favourite sweet food: |
The new chunky KitKats. There should be a law against them. | |
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My
favourite savory food: |
I do like a good curry. | |
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My
typical bedtime is: |
I’m not telling! | |
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My
favourite year of childhood: |
Now, that’s one I’d like to be able to answer but I can’t. Why not? Because looking back on a time and living through a time are two totally different things. I may remember a period of my life with an adult affection that I didn’t actually have then. | |
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My
mousemat design: |
It’s for ‘trAce’ an on-line writing community which has a web page called ‘Kids on the Net’. My advice to ACHUKA readers is to check it out on http://trace.ntu.ac.uk/kotn/gokids.php ~ (It even contains my advice on how to get started on a piece of writing!) | |
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The
tidiest place in my home is: |
My wife’s study, because me and the cats can only go in there if we’re invited. | |
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The
untidiest place in my home is: |
My study. There are stacks of reference books, props from my events (rubber chicken’s leg, giant pencil, etc.), piles of paper, plus plenty of other mess and muddle. | |
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The
working tool I would least like to do without: |
I hate to admit it, but the answer’s my computer. | |