Jenny Colgan interview

Waterstone's: Favourite book as a child?

Jenny Colgan: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or Alice in Wonderland, I loved them both.

W: EastEnders or Coronation Street?

JC: EastEnders I suppose, although they are both a bit rubbish at the moment. I never really had a thing for Grant or Phil, so wasn't really bothered when they came back but I was always quite partial to the guy that played Gianni di Marco.

W: Favourite Chick Lit book ever?

JC: Without question I Don't Know How She Does It by Allison Pearson.

W: Sex and the City or Desperate Housewives?

JC: Definitely Sex and the City, I don't really like Desperate Housewives. If I was a character I'd be Miranda I hope - so much more like the sort of person I think I'd like to be friends with in real life. Although I loved Carrie's apartment, I hated the way she treated Aidan, and she never ever had to have sex on screen - but being executive producer she made all her mates do it!

W: Jelly Tots or Jelly Babies?

JC: Both - always the red flavour.

W: Is a bird in the hand really worth two in a bush?

JC: God, yes I would say so.

W: Savoury or Sweet?

JC: Savoury.

W: Big Brother or I'm a Celebrity?

JC: Big Brother, I hate the snakes on I'm a Celebrity.

W: When did you last cry?

JC: Today actually, just now. I went to see a friend who's in hospital, due to have a baby, and whilst I was there the midwife who delivered Wallace was there, and recognised me, and came to say "Hi" to Wallace and I. It made me really really emotional.

W: Where and when were you at your happiest?

JC: Well... now I suppose, lots of times really. Everything is going so well at the moment. Although I my three happiest times were when I got married (November 2003), when Wallace was born and the first time I sold a book. But then I suppose, anytime when you aren't a teenager is a happy time!

W: What colour was your school uniform?

JC: Blue with yellow piping. So much better that maroon - which always looks to me like its trying to be another, more interesting colour.

W: Where you ever a Brownie, what badges did you get?

JC: I was, but I was the world's worst Brownie, I failed my clean hands test and cheated at my teeth brushing test so was kicked out! But I did get the reading badge nine times! I was such a bad brownie - I'm just not really a team player. I would always much prefer to be reading than playing games with other kids.

W: French polish or clear?

JC: Neither - it interferes with typing and playing the piano, which I love doing.

W: Ant or Dec?

JC: Oh both - I think they're both adorable and cute. The best line in Love Actually was when Bill Nighy says; "So Ant or Dec?" - that had me in stitches.

W: Favourite word/phrase?

JC: Trochiuls, a little bird that lives in the mouth of a crocodile.

W: What was the last text you sent and to whom?

JC: To my friend Jojo (author Jojo Moyes), asking whether her mum (who's a great artist) would paint me a picture of Wallace whilst he's still all tiny and cute.

W: Do you always leave a message after the tone?

JC: Never

W: If you weren't an author what would you be?

JC: A cartoonist.

W: Summer or Winter?

JC: Oh Winter!

W: How much would it have to be for you to deal? (or not deal?)

JC: Oh God I can't watch those programmes - any of them like that, it's too tense, I get too nervous. My heart starts pounding.

W: Do you GHD?

JC: No, I've got naturally straight hair, and would have loved to have big curly hair. That's why all my heroines have big curly hair I suppose.

W: If you were a superhero - what would your powers be?

JC: Either the power of dance (I'd love to be able to jump gracefully three foot in the air like Darcy Bussell) or the ability to differentiate between navy and black tights in a dim light.

W: Favourite cocktail?

JC: Either an Apple Martini or a really really good Margerita. But I think cocktails are better in theory than practice. Let's be honest, two cocktails and you're drunk and just want to go to bed!

W: Your last word?

JC: I'd like to think I'd be too smothered in kisses to get a last word out.

Jo at Peterborough, Bridge Street: A few women's fiction writers carry over characters from previous novels or follow the fortunes of different family member. Are you ever tempted to take any of your existing characters further?

JC: Yeah, quite often I'd like to feature characters again, like Jilly Cooper does (she lets her hundreds of different characters pop up all the time in different books) - but I also like to tie up the whole story in one book, and send the character happily on their way. I think Marian Keyes does that continuation thing really well - she features different members of the same family a lot.

Rachel at Bolton: What did you do on the day your first book was published? Did you rush out to the shops to see it on the shelves of your local bookshop?

JC: Well, I kind of organised a little get together with my friends to go and look, but then, as often happens, a bookstore put the book out about a week early, so I just happened to be shopping one day with a mate and saw it in there - and then just stood staring at it for ages. I'll be honest, the day I found out I was going to be published was far more exciting anyway!

R: If you spotted someone reading one of your books on a train how would you react? Would you approach them and say "I wrote that!"?

JC: I have done a couple of times, like on a train or somewhere quiet. Mostly people are really pleased, but once I was in the gym and saw this girl reading one of my books - so I went up to her and said "Hi" or something, and I asked if she would like me to sign it, and she said "Oh no, It's my sister's, hang on I'll go get her". Next thing, this dripping wet, naked women comes out of the shower, and it turns out it wasn't even her book - she'd borrowed it from a friend.

R: Who is the most famous person's telephone number you have on your mobile phone?

JC: David Walliams and Trevor McDonald - who is just the loveliest man ever!

R: If you were stranded on a desert island with only one book, which one would it be?

JC: I'm actually saving War and Peace for that exact purpose - or if I'm ever wrongly shoved in prison!

R: Which character out of one of your books would you most like to be?

JC: None really, I don't think.

Tim at Bolton: Have you ever thought of writing Manga?

JC: Eeeek - no. I don't really like Manga - a bit too much robot rape and big round eyes. I do like Neil Gaiman though - does that help!

31 July 2006