I think that we are all much closer to our childhood selves than we often think, so when we read about childhood, it can surprise us how immediate or moving it is, when perhaps those feelings are just there, waiting to be accessed all the time.

When Im writing, I spend all my time in The Grocer on Elgin buying ready-made meals; I think they are the only reason my husband and kids havent left me.

Oh, I always think everyone feels left out.

Remove all the traffic lights, yellow lines, one-way systems and road markings, and let blissful anarchy prevail. I imagine it would produce a kind of harmony.

When I was a child, I wanted to raise horses in Wyoming or be a cabin boy on a pirate ship.

I have a study now - I used not to. I also love working in cafes; ignoring noise is good for concentration.

My father was a screenwriter, but he was also a novelist.