One Minute With: Sophie Hannah

Where are you now and what can you see?

I'm in the lounge of my new house. We moved house last Friday from West Yorkshire to Cambridge. I absolutely love the new house. I'm looking out of the window and I can see all sorts of people walking past.

What are you currently reading?

A proof copy of Toby Litt's new book, King Death. It's interesting and unpredictable and I'm have no idea what's going to happen at all, which is rare, not to be able to anticipate what will happen next.

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

I've got lots of favourite authors but I would say Nicci French because I look more forward to reading her next new book than any other author.

Describe the room where you usually write

The room I'm going to be writing in is on the fifth floor. The whole attic has been converted into a room and it's got a really big roof terrace attached, from which you can see all the church towers of Cambridge.

What distracts you from writing?

Living in Cambridge! In West Yorkshire, I'd have to drive three quarters of an hour to go shopping.

Which fictional character most resembles you?

Emma Woodhouse, from Jane Austen's Emma. She is nosy and bossy, and it has been said that I might be either or both.

What are your readers like when you meet them?

They are fantastic. Whenever I meet them, they seem lovely.

Who is your hero/heroine from outside literature?

Although I know he would hate to be considered a hero, I would say Eckhart Tolle, who wrote The Power of Now, which I think is one of the most brilliant books ever.

Sophie Hannah's 'A Room Swept White' is published by Hodder & Stoughton