One Minute With: Eoin Colfer

(PA)

Where are you now and what can you see?

I'm in Glasgow, outside a TV studio. I can see the Clyde and a lovely suspension bridge.

What are you currently reading?

The new novel by Iain Banks, Transition. I've often thought that if they were looking for another sequel to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, he'd have a good stab at it.

Choose a favourite author and say why you admire them

William Boyd. I just love the way he gets to the heart of the matter where people are concerned. Any Human Heart is one of my favourite books.

Describe the room where you usually write

I've just got a new room: an old stable that we've converted. It's a palace of a writing room, with its own bathroom - a step up from the shed where I worked for ten years.

What distracts you from writing?

I do like checking things a lot: to see if the fridge needs restocking, or looking at email. In the new office I don't have the internet yet, so that helps.

Which fictional character most resembles you?

One of the Darling family [from Peter Pan] – Michael, the bookish guy who's not great at being adventurous.

What are your readers like when you meet them?

I'm just starting to meet the Hitchhiker readers. They're much jollier than I expected. I'd been told nightmare stories about very intense people, but these guys know how to party.

Who is your hero/heroine from outside literature?

Most of my heroes tend to be musicians. I'm a huge Kate Bush fan. She has done so much for music in general – I'd really like to meet her.

Eoin Colfer's 'And Another Thing...', his sequel to 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy', is published by Michael Joseph.