
Where are you now and what can you see?
In a rather inappropriately chic hotel in West London in which I don't feel wholly at home.
What are you currently reading?
Virginia Woolf by Alexandra Harris, Dombey And Son by Dickens and The Dark Film by Paul Farley.
Choose a favourite author and say why you admire her/him
Virginia Woolf. I get something different from books such as To The Lighthouse, Jacob's Room and Between The Acts every time I read them. I like ensemble books and she is an ensemble writer.
Describe the room where you usually write
It's in my home [in Oxford]. It's full of stuff and brightly coloured. I paint in there as well so I'm surrounded by paints, books, half-finished pictures and portraits of writers that I'm currently painting.
Which fictional character most resembles you?
There's a bit of you in every character you write. If there isn't, then something has gone a little wrong.
Who is your hero/heroine from outside literature?
Having a hero is a dangerous business. All the best people have the most terrible failings. You're waiting to find out their dark secret. Being regarded as a hero by society is an unhealthy situation to be in.
Mark Haddon's novel, 'The Red House', is published by Jonathan Cape
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