Place and Date of Birth:
Potten End, England.
August 29^th 1942

What is your favorite book?
I always find this question impossible to answer: so many books I love, how can I choose a favourite? At the moment, it might be Empire of the Sun by J.G. Ballard, because when I read it the character of Jim takes over my head.

What is your most treasured possession?
My writing desk: it's over a hundred years old and made of cedar and red gum.

Who would you most like to meet?
My best friend from boarding school, Eileen Mayne Reid. I lost touch with her years ago, but I often think about her. It would be brilliant to meet her again.

What did you do before you were a published author?
I wrote my first book while I was a full-time mum, at home with my three kids. Before that I worked as an editor for a publishing company, a freelance journalist and a film critic.

When did you start writing?
I started writing stories almost as soon as I knew how to write. I made little books of poems and plays for my parents. Many years later I wrote my first novel in 1985.

Where do you get your ideas?
I never have any shortage of ideas. In fact I have too many ever to be able to write all their stories down. The more things you are interested in, the more ideas you get.

Can you give your top 3 tips to becoming a successful author?

1. Learn to know and trust your own voice.
2. Be prepared to do a lot of rewriting.
3. Read a lot.

What is your favorite memory?
I don't like this word 'favourite'!! It rules out so many things. However, if I have to choose one memory, I'll choose riding with my sister Jocelyn, in the bush around Kano, Nigeria, on evenings we called 'pink and green' because the stormy light made those colurs stand out.

If you hadn’t been a writer what would you have done?
I would have liked to have been a historian. I nearly studied history at Oxford, but chose languages instead. It's still my favourite subject though.