Stuff
Katie Ward Revealed
About Katie Ward
-
Previous occupations:I’ve worked in the public and voluntary sectors in community project roles, including at a women’s refuge, and for a Member of Parliament.
-
Favorite job:I've had some lovely jobs, but writing is best.
-
High school and/or college:City University London.
-
Name of your favorite composer or music artist?:Chopin.
-
Favorite movie:'Amadeus.'
-
Favorite television show:Past: ‘The Jewel in the Crown’. Present: ‘Sherlock’.
Revealing Questions
- Q. How would you describe your life in only 8 words?
- A. Books, cats, art, and a cup of tea.
- Q. What is your motto or maxim?
- A. ‘Try again. Fail again. Fail better.’ – Samuel Beckett
- Q. How would you describe perfect happiness?
- A. Breakfast in bed.
- Q. What’s your greatest fear?
- A. That one day my husband will refuse to catch the spiders which find their way indoors, and I’ll have to learn to do it myself.
- Q. If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you choose to be?
- A. I love city breaks, but I love being at home too.
- Q. With whom in history do you most identify?
- A. I identify with Virginia Woolf’s frailty and self-doubt, her eccentric lifestyle and drab domesticity. When she writes about writing, lots of it rings true.
- Q. Which living person do you most admire?
- A. Hilary Mantel.
- Q. What are your most overused words or phrases?
- A. Intuition. Colour. Breath.
- Q. What do you regret most?
- A. Any time spent looking back, when I should be looking forwards.
- Q. If you could acquire any talent, what would it be?
- A. I wish my handwriting was neater.
- Q. What is your greatest achievement?
- A. A happy marriage.
- Q. What’s your greatest flaw?
- A. There are so many, and this is a rather tiny box! Let’s go with ... being moody.
- Q. What’s your best quality?
- A. A loving heart.
- Q. If you could be any person or thing, who or what would it be?
- A. Florence + the Machine.
- Q. What trait is most noticeable about you?
- A. I’m a bit too tall.
- Q. Who is your favorite fictional hero?
- A. Hazel from ‘Watership Down’. You have to admire a bunny rabbit with leadership skills.
- Q. Who is your favorite fictional villain?
- A. Lady Marchmain from ‘Brideshead Revisited’. She’s toxic.
- Q. If you could meet any historical character, who would it be and what would you say to him or her?
- A. I wish I could tell you, but I’m currently writing about her. Or him.
- Q. What is your biggest pet peeve?
- A. People who complain too much.
- Q. What is your favorite occupation, when you’re not writing?
- A. Going to the theatre or an art gallery. Or both, ideally.
- Q. What’s your fantasy profession?
- A. Devising and writing episodes of Columbo.
- Q. What 3 personal qualities are most important to you?
- A. Compassion. Humour. Serenity.
- Q. If you could eat only one thing for the rest of your days, what would it be?
- A. Sandwiches.
- Q. What are your 5 favorite songs?
- A. ‘Make you Feel My Love’ by Bob Dylan; ‘Shake it Out’ by Florence + the Machine; ‘Blind’ by Hercules and Love Affair; ‘Heat Wave’ by Martha and the Vandellas; ‘Sweet Dreams’ by Eurythmics
On Books and Writing
- Q. Who are your favorite authors?
- A. There are so many! Here are just a few names which spring to mind: Sarah Waters, Tracy Chevalier, Salley Vickers, Hilary Mantel, Virginia Woolf, Barbara Kingsolver, Michael Cunningham, David Mitchell and Evelyn Waugh. There are plenty others, of course. I am changeable.
- Q. What are your 5 favorite books of all time?
- A. Only 5? Harsh ... ‘I Capture the Castle’ by Dodie Smith; ‘Just Kids’ by Patti Smith; ‘A Place of Greater Safety’ by Hilary Mantel; ‘A Room of One’s Own’ by Virginia Woolf; ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ by Charlotte Perkins Gilman.
- Q. Is there a book you love to reread?
- A. ‘Brideshead Revisited’ by Evelyn Waugh. I've revisited several times.
- Q. Do you have one sentence of advice for new writers?
- A. Practice, practice, practice.
- Q. What comment do you hear most often from your readers?
- A. ‘Is it a novel, or short stories?’
