My love affair with the written word began as a child and perhaps the earliest indication that I might pursue word-smithing professionally was a jingle which I devised for my father's advertising agency at age five. (It wasn't used, of course, but I was ever so proud of my contribution!) I was forever creating 'books' as a child (with hand-drawn covers and bound with staples) and foisting them on people, and in primary school one of my teachers wrote on my report card that my tongue would either get me "published or hanged". Well, so far, so good... The pic is of me, aged three, which was also the last time I felt confident enough to wear hot-pants.

 

My family background was very much at the core of my desire to become a writer. My mother had an absolutely superb command of the English language and was a proof-reader of some distinction. Until she passed away in 2007 she proof-read every single thing I ever wrote and I miss her input tremendously.
I was very much an 'afterthought' and my parents were from a vastly different era to that of my contemporaries'. As a consequence, I was raised on a steady diet of Irish wit and British radio comedies from Round the Horn to Hancock's Half Hour, all of which fostered my love of sardonic humour and a good double entendre.

My uncle, Col. Mike Hoare (pictured here with me), known in equal measure for his  military adventures and for his books about the same, was also instrumental in my desire to write. From an early age I thought it was a terrific idea to do things less ordinary and then write about them afterwards, as he has done.  This spurred me to go and do exactly that, attracting me to a life of almost perpetual travel. I have turned my experiences of life in the Middle East into a book, as well as those of my time in Tanzania, and the notion that this was possible came directly from my conversations with him. He remains a great inspiration to me.

My route to book-writing was a very circuitous one: although I wrote copy for my father's ad agency throughout high school, I actually began my professional life in the theatre and performed for all four performing arts councils.  I was a ballet devotee but ended up combining my love of dancing and singing by performing in professional productions of many of my favourite musicals including Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Brigadoon, The Wizard of Oz, Grease... (True story!) I also appeared in a dismal local television series and was even a finalist in the South African search for the new Scarlett O'Hara (pictured on the left) which -had I won it- would have steered me towards Hollywood and a life of therapy, anxiety and a quasi-American accent.

 

In 2004 I became heartily disenchanted with life in the media and left the UK for Tanzania, where I lived for a year while working for a small British charity. Some of my Maasai friends are pictured on the left in their ceremonial finery. Their story is documented in the (as yet unpublished) book I wrote about my time with them, called Letters from Longido.

In Longido I had no electricity and no running water. This reminded me of South Africa and made me homesick. In the course of addressing this homesickness I journeyed to SA and on the plane met the man who would become my husband. My first ever words to him were: "I think we're going to be lucky..."

My husband, Christopher, is a fellow scribe and has taken over the mantle of proof-reader from my mother. He reads my literary offerings more times than anyone else has, or indeed should.

We live in a thatched house in the North West Province, with three dogs, four cats, a plethora of hirsute spiders and a variable electricity and water supply.

You can also click here to read my interview with Bridget McNulty of Literary Tourism.

• I was originally left-handed but was made to write with my right hand.
• I always write in bed, in pyjamas or a tracksuit.
• My favourite authors include Stephen Fry, Nick Hornby, PJ O'Rourke, David Sedaris, PG Wodehouse, David Bennun, Joanne Harris, Tobias Wolff, JM Coetzee...and I keep adding to this list every day. (So many fantastic writers, so little time.)
• I follow Formula 1 with a passion bordering on the obsessive.
• I detest artichokes and asparagus.
• Brussels sprouts are by far my favourite vegetable after chocolate (say what you like, cocoa is a bean).
• I suffer from tinnitus. It competes with the voices in my head...