As much as I love beach holidays, I do really like to get out and about and explore. It's why I like Los Angeles: because I can easily drive to Malibu or Santa Monica to see what they have to offer. I get itchy feet if I stay still too long in one place when I'm abroad.
I never thought about writing a novel until I was 13, and that happened by chance. I was on school holidays, and I was bored, and I thought I just wanted to do something to occupy myself instead of asking, 'What can I do, mum? Entertain me.' I started, and it really just took over, and I realised, 'Wow, this is an amazing experience.'
I was a little punk rocker and was pregnant with Sarah when I went to university. I had her in the Christmas holidays of the first term. It was 1979, and UCL was very proud of its reputation as a liberal university, so they were very helpful.
I try to celebrate all the holidays that the Scriptures talk about.
I find that it's the simple things that remind you of family around the holidays.
I love theatrical props: a cup filled with solid fake tea, say, or a collection of fake food, including a rubber turkey, which, during the holidays, I wrap in tinfoil so it appears to have just come out of the oven.
I always believe holidays strengthen the family bond, away from our daily hectic schedules.
I was very fortunate that all my holidays I'd spend with my grandfather, experiencing a much more traditional way of life and listening to these wonderful stories, which I now feel are such an important part of Indian thinking.
I feel like girls should dress down a little bit on the holidays, even though the instinct is to get really dressed up.
My family is certainly very vocal. They're very Italian. A lot of our holidays end with people screaming at each other across the room. And everyone's very opinionated and intelligent. A lot of my aunts and uncles are wildly educated, and their opinions reflect that. We're all very liberal.
