Sometimes people ask me questions. Here are the answers to a few of them.

Did you ever go to school?
Up to the age of 11 I attended local schools in Twickenham. After that I lived off nuts and berries near the railway tracks.

How do you get inspiration for your books?
By paying close attention to the news and mixing it up with ideas I might have while feasting on a nut or berry. The Peppers is inspired by a family holiday in Cork, Ireland where I tried to become a magician in two weeks. I was ten. I failed.

Why did you want to be a writer?
Because I wrote stories for as long as I can remember, mainly about lonely orphan princesses sitting on top of mountains, feeling sorry for themselves. None of this autobiographical, of course.

Any tips for would-be writers?
Never eat anything bigger than your head. But if you do, you can write about eating something bigger than your head.

What is your favourite punctuation mark?
The interrobang.

Have you written any more books?
Yes, there are three in the Agatha Bilke series for Short Books… the are wild tales about a very naughty person called Agatha. Click here for the Agatha mini website. The Magical Peppers is the last series for HarperCollins books. Click here. All books for 7-11 year olds. Give or take.