Anita Ganeri

Q: What were you like at school?

Good at lessons but brilliant at breaking the rules and getting away with it. (Sorry, teachers.)

Q: What did you want to be when you were a child?

French. I'm not sure why. Or a top tennis player. Or, ideally, a top French tennis player.

Q: Which three words describe you best?

Short. Funny. Fierce.

Q: What is your favourite word?

Faberoony (though I'm not sure how to spell it).

Q: What makes you cringe?

Having my photo taken. Seeing the result.

Q: What are you afraid of?

Large insects. They're fine until they move...

Q: When did you last have a really good laugh?

Yesterday, when my daughter (aged 3) asked me if I'd got her school 'unicorn' ready.

Q: What is your most treasured possession?

Apart from my children and dogs, a fossil seashell from the Thar Desert in Rajasthan, India. Millions of years ago, it was under the sea.

Q: What do you do as a hobby?

I read, play tennis (badly), walk my dogs and watch Neighbours.

Q: What strange habits do you have?

Watching Neighbours! Of course, I don't think that's strange.

Q: What’s your favourite food?

Raspberry cheesecake

Q: What do you day dream about?

Being a top tennis player (okay, so it's never going to happen). And finishing my work on time.

Q: What’s the most outrageous thing you’ve done?

There are a few but I'm hoping that the best is yet to come.

Q: What profession other than yours would you like to attempt?

Have a guess? Apart from that, I'd love to have my own radio show.

Q: Do you feel younger or older than your current age?

Much, much younger. And sillier.

Q: If you could meet one person, dead or alive, who would it be?

Very difficult. Dead: Jawaharlal Nehru. Alive: David Bowie. Sorry, that's two.

Q: What quality do you most admire in a person?

A sense of humour. Generosity. Kindness.

Q: What is the most interesting place you have ever visited?

Madagascar. Iceland. Namibia. It's impossible to choose between them.

Q: What is the best advice anyone has ever given you?

Nil Desperandum (Do not despair).

Q: What would you most like to change about yourself?

I'd like to be taller (apart from on planes when it's very useful having short legs).

Q: What has life taught you?

That you have a choice - you can either get on with it, or let it get on with you.

Q: How long have you been a writer?

More than 20 years.

Q: Was there a specific moment in your life when you decide to become a writer?

Not really. I was working at Usborne as an editor and writing books in-house, and decided to go freelance. But I'm very lucky to have found something that I really love doing.

Q: Where do you do your writing?

In an office in my house.

Q: What are the best and worst things about being an author?

Best: being able to be flexible, so you can go and play tennis (as long as you catch up with work later). Worst: having to catch up with work later, when you'd rather watch Neighbours. And deadlines.

Q: Where do you get your greatest ideas from?

For Horrible Geography, my ideas all come from the world around me, and the amazing stories of people who explore it.

Q: What do you do to combat “writers’ block”?

Go and do some chores - putting on the washing, boring things like that. It doesn't always work but at least we have clean clothes.

Q: What was your favourite book as a child?

Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkein

Q: What book do you wish you had written?

Lord of the Rings; Horrible Histories

Q: What advice would you give to aspiring authors?

Nil Desperandum (see above). Keep going, keep practising, keep writing. You'll get there in the end.