Let us begin with the basics, Kate, tell us about yourself and your books, what genre do you write?
Hi, I'm Kate Harrad. I live in London (UK) and I'm a writer, parent, activist and project officer. Only the last one pays any money, sadly. I tend to write fiction somewhere round the urban fantasy genre - my novel All Lies and Jest (which has a new edition about to come out from Ghostwood Books) is probably either a thriller, or a vampire novel with no actual vampires in it. I like fiction that's hard to classify, apparently. However, my current project is non-fiction - Purple Prose: Bisexuality in Britain, published by Thorntree Press, which looks at the British bi community. Do you have another job or are you a full time author? If you do something else (international spy?) what is it and do you like it?
I have a part time job with the NHS as a project officer, which I do actually enjoy very much. Also I have kids, which is like a job except with no money or time off. (But an interesting job.)
When did you start writing?
At the age of five, before I could actually write properly, I dictated a series of books to my mum. I can't remember anything about them though. Then I just wrote all through school, and told my careers adviser that I planned to be a writer - much to her dismay.
What 3 things are guaranteed to make you smile?
Busby Berkeley musical numbers, the sight of my children going to bed, the Great British Bake Off.
Who is your favourite author? Do they influence your writing or are they a total break from the sort of thing you write?
I don't have one favourite author, but the ones I read do tend to be the kind of writer I'd like to be. I like Salman Rushdie, Jorge-Luis Borges, Dorothy L Sayers, Angela Carter, Douglas Adams, Isabel Allende, Evelyn Waugh, DH Lawrence, Scott Fitzgerald, Agatha Christie, PD James. I'd find it hard to specify exactly what they all have in common but it's something about the writing style and the characterisations.
Which book(s) are you reading at the moment?
Because you asked me this in the school holidays I have needed comfort reading, so lots of golden age detective stories - Ngaio Marsh, Raymond Chandler. Also just started Crime and Punishment, which I've been meaning to read for 23 years.
Where do you do most of your writing?
At my computer when nobody else is in the house.
What is your favourite biscuit?
I have coeliac disease, so it's got to be something I can have a gluten-free version of.
Tea or Coffee?
No thanks! Don't drink either. I'll have a hot chocolate.
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In the film of your life who would play you? (why)
Kate Winslet, because a) I love her and b) she is roughly the right age and accent.
If you could genetically cross an animal and a vegetable, what would you pick and why? I like the idea of a snail water chestnut, crunchy but also sweet and juicy, nice with a stir fry...
A cucumber and a crocodile because they're fairly similar shapes, and crocodiles are probably quite crunchy anyway. And you could call it a crocumber.{{this name is reason enough!
