Q&A: Prue Leith
'My greatest fear? Senility. My mother and grandmother both went off with the fairies'Prue Leith, 72, was born in South Africa. In the early 1960s, she moved to London where she set up a catering firm; she went on to open Leith's Restaurant and Leith'...
Q&A: Nadine Gordimer
'Unfortunately, I seem rather short of tears, so my sorrows have to stay inside me'Nadine Gordimer, 88, was born in Springs, South Africa. She published her first collection of stories in 1949. An anti-apartheid activist, she joined the ANC when t...
Q&A: James Patterson
'The trait I most deplore in myself? Every once in a while, I'll have a "Do you know who I am?" moment. I hate that'James Patterson, 64, was born in New York. He began his career in advertising, then in 1977 he won the Edgar award for his first no...
Q&A: Michael Morpurgo
'My earliest memory? Being walked to school through a pea-souper'Michael Morpurgo, 68, was born in St Albans. After university, he became a teacher, and in 1974 published his first book for children, It Never Rained: Five Stories. He was ...
Q&A: Delia Smith
'My guiltiest pleasure? Eating Cadbury's Fruit & Nut straight from the freezer'Delia Smith, 70, was born in Surrey. After leaving school at 16 with no qualifications, she worked in hairdressing, as a shop assistant and for a travel agency. At 21 she be...
Q&A: Jennifer Egan
'My grandchildren will be dealing with the fallout from George Bush'Jennifer Egan, 49, was born in Chicago. She decided she wanted to be a writer while backpacking around Europe in the early 1980s. She has published five novels, and has written short s...
Q&A: Margaret Atwood
'How do I relax? What is this "relax" of which you speak, Earthling?'Margaret Atwood, 71, was born in Ottawa and lives in Toronto. She has written more than 50 volumes, but is best known for her novels, including The Handmaid's Tale and Booker prizewin...
Q&A: Julia Donaldson | Books
'My fancy dress costume of choice? Anything other than a Gruffalo outfit.'Julia Donaldson, 62, grew up in London. After studying at Bristol University, she worked in publishing and as a teacher. She also wrote songs for children's television, and in 19...
Q&A: Peter Carey
'If I could edit my past, I'd get rid of all the commas'
Peter Carey was born in 1943 in Victoria, Australia, where his parents ran a car dealership. He worked in advertising and wrote fiction in his spare time. Four of his novels were...
