What is your earliest childhood memory?
Whingeing about vanilla ice cream in a caff in Preston Park, pulling on a woman’s leg who I thought was my mam.

What makes you happy?

A night down the Linthorpe pub in Middlesbrough when the Alpine lager’s flowing, or a night on my own in the flat when the words are flowing.

When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?

Thumbing through ‘Trainspotting’ when I was eleven years old really knocked me for six. It made me realise you don’t have to write a novel according to any strict formula or pattern. As a writer, you can be as free with language and structure as you want, and ‘Trainspotting’ exemplifies that, to me.

What are you reading at the moment?

I’m reading Thomas Pynchon’s ‘The Crying of Lot 149′ – it’s my first Pynchon, after years and years of wanting to take the plunge. I’m really enjoying it – it’s really off the wall and intense, full of mad characters and hilarious descriptions and awe-inspiring cleverness. I reckon I’ll work up a Pynchon addiction before too long…

What advice will give to a first time writer?

I love Kerouac’s advice, to ’stick to it with the energy of a benny [speed] addict’ – you just have to write and write and write. I got published after sending novels to publishers non-stop since I was twelve… I’ve had tons of rejection letters over the years, but now and then someone comes along with faith, and it’s worth all the rejections.

What is your guiltiest pleasure?

Ecstasy, pork pies, and ‘Eggheads’ on BBC2

How do you relax?
A cup of tea, a pork pie, and ‘Eggheads’ on BBC2

What is your favourite Book?
I keep changing my mind. One I really love is ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’ – it’s not only this manic, truly surreal story, but Lewis Carroll’s wordplay blows my mind. He was a true genius, and hilarious as well.

What is the most important thing life has taught you?
It might sound slushy, but taking Ecstasy in my teens taught me to try and be as happy as possible all the time I’m got life in me (despite making me feel like shit the morning after). And if you can’t be happy, just try to be nice to people.

Richard Milward’s novel ‘Ten Story Love Song’ is out now.

What makes you happy?
There are many things that bring happiness to me. A good meal. A ruff’n'tumble with my son. Painting. Seeing my wife smile and cooking for friends.

When did you decide you wanted to be a Actor?
When I started getting paid for what I enjoy doing. That was more of a decision to continue. The thoughts of wanting to act were probably around the age of 13 or 14.

What are you reading at the moment?
I’m moving between two books at the moment: Toussaint Louverture, a biography by Madison Smartt Bell and ‘Why New Orleans Matters by Tom Piazza.

What is your guiltiest pleasure?
In a word Chocolate…all over her body. I’m only joking. No! seriously I could binge on good chocolate.

How do you relax?
Painting Playing cards with an old friend. Gardening. Riding a horse through really nice country.

What is your favourite book?
The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas.

What is the most important thing life has taught you?
That love is the virtue we should strive hardest for to bring into our lives. Pray a lot.

Actor Clarke Peters star of the hit show the ‘Wire’ is currently playing Nelson Mandela in ‘The Endgame’ on Channel 4, starting Monday the 4th of May.

What is your earliest childhood memory? When it snowed and was sooo incredibly cold the pipes had frozen, so we had to use snow and ice boiled up to give me a bath.

What makes you happy?

My friends and family, music, food, weather that matches my mood, when I’m busy- I hate having nothing to do.

When did you decide to become a writer?

Too little to remember. Young.

What are you reading at the moment?

I’m reading The Reader, I refuse to watch the film until I’ve read the book, but last night I was already in bed and I couldn’t find it so I began Revolutionary Road…so today will be the make or break of which book I choose to pursue first.

What advice will you give to a first time writer?

Look after your back when you write, invest in good writing equipment, as cute as it sounds to sit hunched up, your spine curled up like a snails shell, it’s stupid and you will be sorry….and you will spend all your money on massages.

What is your guiltiest pleasure?

All Saints. I listen to them nearly every day.

How do you relax?

Sleeping. I love going to bed with a cup of tea, reading two and 1/2 lines of a book and then conking out. It’s wonderful.

What is your favourite book?

Twenty Thousand Streets Under the Sky – by Patrick Hamilton. It’s beautiful, heartbreaking and it takes you somewhere else…also Georges Marvellous Medicine.

What is the most important thing life has taught you?

I don’t know, i haven’t lived it yet…so far, a little bit of kindness goes a long way.

Laura Dockrill’s novel ‘Ugly Shy Girl’, is out now …

What is your earliest childhood memory? Seeing the platforms and flares going by.
  
What makes you happy? Achieving an absolutely perfect life balance, manifested in a single day, when the weather is just right.
  
When did you decide you wanted to be a writer? I don’t remember deciding, I just wrote, but I did decide to try and make money out of it when I was twenty-two, and got an agent.
  
What are you reading at the moment? The Information Officer, by Mark Mills.
  
What advice would you give to a first time writer? Work as much as you can, and don’t be distracted by either value judgements or expectations, if you can possibly help it.
  
What is your guiltiest pleasure? All my pleasures are guilty.
  
How do you relax? Art, movies, riding, walking – anything that isn’t sitting at my desk.
  
What is your favourite book? Ever?? …I haven’t read it yet.
  
What is the most important thing life has taught you? If I can, to find reward and joy in the present, not some imagined future.
  
  
Sadie Jones’ debut novel is The Outcast.