Every book I write… has a very specific genesis. All my novels so far have been “born” at a specific moment. I am visiting somewhere for the first time and for one reason or another (usually surprise) something quite literally makes my hairs stand on end. Spinalonga in Crete, the holocaust memorial in Thessaloniki, the island of Makronisos close to Athens, all of these and others created such a visceral reaction in me that I had no choice but to do some further reading and research and then to write a story. I can’t write a novel unless I feel totally compelled in this way – almost as if it would require more will power than I have to resist the urge to tell this particular story.
Those Who Are Loved
My childhood holidays…. were wet and cold. They were all spent on the south coast of England, eating sandwiches in a howling gale and dipping my toes into icy brown seas. I was always happy to get home. Everything changed when I was a teenager and my recently divorced mother took the decision to take me and my sister to Greece. Seeing such blue sky and sea was a transformative experience. It was love at first sight.
I get addicted… to certain foods or drinks – and at any one time there is something I am eating or drinking in an almost obsessive way. For a whole year I ate a toffee yogurt every day, one year I had to have tomatoes with every meal (breakfast, lunch and dinner), another it was grated cheese on everything, then coleslaw, then it was avocado on toast, currently it is kefir. And the fridge is full of it. Suddenly one “fetish” will end and another begins (I can’t have two addictions at once).
I love watching footie… on tv. There is nothing more relaxing than Match of the Day – specially when you don’t really mind who wins. I even love it when they are sitting round the table discussing the minutiae of the game – and no-one talks the talk better than Gary Lineker. He is a total legend in footballing terms and a wonderful broadcaster. There is a rumour that he won’t do this forever – I hope it’s not true.
I have a cat called Colin… and the whole family is besotted by him. We “bred” him (it sounds so grand) and his mother had seven kittens in an open suitcase in the attic. Colin was number seven. He is almost too fluffy for his own good, even his paws have long black tufts and he is thoroughly spoiled. He is the profile pic on our family WhatsApp.
I only write in pencil…and it has to be a propelling pencil, the plastic type – specifically “Papermate”. They are slim and suit the size of my hand and they have a rubber on top. I think it’s because I am indecisive that I prefer to write in pencil because I can change my mind about what I have written. I think you have to be really confident to write straight on a page in ink – even in a diary!
I hate baggy clothes… I like things to fit really well – I think it’s more flattering. If I buy a dress that’s too loose, I put it on inside out, pin the seams to fit and then get out my sewing machine. Hey presto! A tailor-made outfit!