When you were younger were you anything like Dennis the Menace?
I’m afraid to say I was a lot like Dennis The Menace. I was never deliberately wicked, but I was pretty accident-prone and was always falling out trees and smashing windows. Sorry, Mum…
What’s the naughtiest thing you ever did as a child?
Oh gosh, I did so many naughty things when I was young. Most of my stories are a bit too long to fit in this little answer, but I can tell you that I used to fib A LOT. I discovered I was in possession of a whopping big imagination and would lie to anyone gullible enough to believe me. I told teachers I’d been on safari in Africa after having a day off school with a cold, and once explained that my brother had broken all of his limbs because he was off sick and I couldn’t remember the word asthma.
When you were younger what did you want to be?
I grew up in the “HONEY, I SHRUNK THE KIDS!” generation and was determined to be a crazed inventor, living in a house filled with contraptions.
How did you become an author?
I became an author after writing The Wrong Pong while on tour, playing Horrid Henry in the stage show. I was super lucky that my manuscript fell onto the desk of Elv Moody, the editor in chief of Puffin at the time, and she gave me my big break.
How old were you when you started writing?
I started professionally writing at the age of 27, but I’ve been writing stories my whole life.
Who inspired you to write?
The person who most inspired me to write was the FANTASTICALLY funny children’s author, Jeremy Strong. I was lucky enough that he was my headmaster at primary school, and he would regularly read his books to us. We loved him! It was like having Willy Wonka for a teacher, and he definitely instilled a love of writing in me.
When you were younger who was your favourite author and who would you recommend to us now?
When I was young, I loved Robin Jarvis’ books The Deptford Mice Trilogy, Tales From The Wyrd Museum and The Whitby Witches Trilogy. His stories are dark and sometimes a little scary, but they are so filled with swashbuckling adventure, I could never put them down.
If you had a superpower, what would it be?
I’ve always wanted to fly. It was my birthday candle wish every year when I was little. The first time I played Peter Pan and flew over the theatre in my 20s, I cried like a baby.
What did you dress up as for world book day?
This year I was on the road, hosting The Biggest Book Show On Earth Tour for World Book Day, and I dressed up as a circus ringmaster. It was great fun.
Would you like a child like Dennis?
I don’t have any children, but I see loads of mini-menaces in training at my book events. In a way, I don’t need to have a child like Dennis… I already have an army of them!
Who is your favourite story book baddie?
I think it has to be Miss Trunchbull from Matilda. No one else comes close. The Trunch could take on Captain Hook, Voldemort and Godzilla all at the same time and still come out completely unscathed. My money is definitely on her.
What are you writing at the moment?
I’m currently finishing up with the sixth book in The Diary Of Dennis The Menace series, having just completed my first picture book for Puffin. I’m not allowed to tell you much about it yet, but keep an eye out for it in 2016. It’s lots of fun.
