Katie Fforde is, without doubt, one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. Within minutes of meeting her and chatting to her about the Bah! book, she’d given me the names of an agent and a publisher with a ‘mention my name’. (This was in marked contrast to another writer at the same event, who on hearing that my book was not yet published simply picked up her drink and walked away.) Within hours of receiving my request for help with BBBB, Katie offered signed books and an interview. Here it is.

SB: I read your book ‘Love Letters’ a couple of weeks ago and I am still smiling. Do you set out to write books that make people smile?

KF: I hope so.  I want my books to be a nice place to go when times are tough, or you just need to relax.  They won’t change your life but I’d like them to make it a bit more fun.

SB: Do you enjoy writing?

KF: Sometimes more than others.  When its going well it’s the best thing in the world but sometimes it’s harder.  I’ve never worked out if the bits that go well are better or worse than the bits that are a struggle.

SB: When I asked you to help with BBBB, you jumped at the chance. What made you want to get involved?

KF: It is an excellent cause and I like to help.

SB Do you have books that you return to when you need a bit of comfort/warmth/safety?

KF: Georgette Heyer every time.  Alas, I know most of them by heart.   My ambition is to create comfort books.  I think for some I do!

SB And which books or authors make you laugh?

KF: Real ‘laugh out loud’?  Jerome K Jerome, Three Men in a Boat.  Hysterical.  Also P G Wodehouse.  Lots of other books uplift and make me smile, not many create actual laughter.

SB: What’s your Desert Island book?

KF: My Desert Island Book is a huge anthology of poetry.  I love reading it and feel you’d have all the story and all the beautiful writing you’d ever need. Bit of a cop out…

No, a bit of a brilliant idea, I think. Three of Katie’s books are in the May 2010 BBBB.