Melvin Burgess

Q: What were you like at school?

Dozy. I was such a day dreamer, I couldn't concentrate on anything for long. When I was playing by myself, my parents used to talk to me and I wouldn't hear a thing. "He's in the land," they always said. It helped me get lousy grades at school.

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

I always loved the natural world, and\ my favorite books when I was young were by Gerald Durrell - one of the first conservationists. He founded Jersy zoo, but befroe that he used to travel round the world collecting animals for zoos. What a job! I started wanting to be a writer when I was about 14.

Q: Which three words describe you best?

I don't know.

Q: What is your favourite word?

Pancakes. With sugar and lemon.

Q: What makes you cringe?

Emarrassing things that I've done in the past, that I'm not going to tell you about.

Q: What are you afraid of?

Falling off a cliff. Falling out of love. Falling ill ... falling, I guess.

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

Yesterday. I have a good laugh most days. I'm hoping to have one later today.

Q: What is your most treasured possession?

My dad's writing desk.

Q: What do you do as a hobby?

I cook. I garden. I walk; and I love nature watching - including watching people.

Q: What strange habits do you have?

I'm certainly not answering that - they're far too strange!

Q: What’s your favourite food?

Freshly boiled lobster with lashings of sweet butter.

Q: What do you day dream about?

Travelling in wild places.

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

Cheese making. Or runing a smoke house.

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

Kindess.

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

Nepal. I went on safari on elephnat back - it was fabulous.

Q: How long have you been a writer?

I've written all my life, but I was first published about twenty years ago.

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

I was realy quite useless at school, so when a teacher told me how great my writing was, I believed her. She was the first person who'd told me I was any good at anything for years - except for my mum and dad who didn't count becuse I knew they'd always tell me I was good.

Q: Where do you get your greatest ideas from?

In the bath.

Q: What was your favourite book as a child?

The Wind in the Willows

Q: What advice would you give to aspiring authors?

Just don't stop. It's not the people with brains as big as planets who suceed - it's those who never give in.