WHERE ARE YOU HAPPIEST?

Almost anywhere. I'm an unreasonably happy person.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE FILM?

The Big Lebowski, for its ridiculous slapstick, perfect dialogue and smarts, all overlaid with absurdity. I'm still in awe of it.

AND YOUR FAVOURITE BOOK?

This changes hourly: I'm not a literary monogamist. Generally I like them chubby. Some of my rotating favourites include White Teeth by Zadie Smith, Possession by A.S. Byatt, The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen, and Oscar and Lucinda by Peter Carey. I love The Acolyte by Thea Astley, which is the skinny exception to the rule.

NAME THE THREE PEOPLE YOU WOULD MOST LIKE TO DINE WITH.

Rosalind Franklin, Charles Darwin, Hildegard of Bingen

WHICH WORD DO YOU MOST DISLIKE, AND WHICH WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE BACK IN PUBLIC USAGE?

I loathe 'eschew' and 'savour'. They're wrong in every sentence: they're attention-hogging, anti-lyrical posers. I'd love to see more 'vexing'.

WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE AUTHOR?

Today, Dorothy L. Sayers.

AND YOUR FAVOURITE LITERARY HERO AND HEROINE?

I've a soft spot for Dorothea Brookes. She's painful I know, but so am I. I fell heavily for Brian de Bois-Guilbert when I was a teenager, and still fancy him. Rebecca was a complete dill for preferring Ivanhoe. He was as dull as a rock.

NAME AN EARLY LITERARY IDOL OR INFLUENCE WHOM YOU NO LONGER ADMIRE – OR VICE VERSA.

I loved Jeffrey Archer in the 1980s. I thought Shall we tell the President? and Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less were utterly brilliant.

WHAT, IF ANYTHING, IMPEDES YOUR WRITING?

Too much thinking. My biggest challenge is getting out of my own way.

HOW DO YOU REGARD PUBLISHERS?

Glorious mythical beings, very clever, slightly terrifying, visiting from on high and dispensing wisdom. Like the Tooth Fairy, but with Cabcharge vouchers.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE STATE OF CRITICISM?

I feel for reviewers – they can't win. If they review seriously, with gravitas and responsibility, it's difficult to find enough readers. If they shake things up with a bit of drama, they're sledged for being gimmicky. If they say nice things about someone they know (and in Australia everyone is someone you know), they're dismissed as sucks. If they deliver difficult judgements, they're attacked by the thin-skinned. All the while, spaces for intelligent engagement are shrinking.

IF YOU HAD YOUR TIME OVER AGAIN, WOULD YOU CHOOSE TO BE A WRITER?

Yes, but I'd start earlier and also buy Apple shares back in 1999.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF WRITERS' FESTIVALS?

I love meeting readers, who are the most wonderful people in the world, and I love meeting writers I admire, which is pretty much everyone. The whole 'school camp' vibe is terrific fun.

ARE ARTISTS VALUED IN OUR SOCIETY?

Not enough. I don't think enough people realise the importance of creativity in every area of life, especially in the sciences, which is the field most likely to save humanity from itself. More people should learn an art as a life-skill. Plus, being lost in your own art, regardless of its 'value', is a singular pleasure.

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON NOW?

I got nothing. I'm staring at the flashing cursor until my eyes bleed.