One Minute With: Alexei Sayle

Where are you now and what can you see?

I am in my living room and I can see the pavement outside. I can also see part of the London University and I have noticed that one of their bins has been upside down for the last six months.

What distracts you from writing?

Absolutely everything.

Choose a favourite author, and say why you like her/him

I like Evelyn Waugh. He is a brilliant satirist and always evokes some kind of sympathy for his characters even if he hates them. And he is very funny.

Describe the room where you usually write

I often write in my bedroom, in bed, but I also have an office. It is in the basement overlooking something they would have stored coal in in Victorian days.

W hich fictional character most resembles you?

John Connor from the Terminator films, because he saves humanity.

What are your readers like when you meet them?

They are very nice people. They consider themselves not quite of the world, slightly different from the rest of the world. Perhaps they read my books because they like my voice. My voice is a voice you don't hear everywhere.

What are you currently reading?

Tony Judt's history of the 20th century, Post War: A History of Europe Since 1945. I want to find out what happens.

Who is your hero/heroine from outside literature?

I don't really have heroes but I always forget to mention my friend Pauline Melville. She's just a wonderful person and a very good writer. So I'm telling her that now, in a newspaper questionnaire.

Alexei Sayle's 'Mister Roberts' is published by Sceptre