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I WAS BORN IN THE AZORES WHERE MY FATHER WAS WORKING AFTER THE WAR,
AND HE WORKED FOR A COMPANY CALLED CABLE AND WIRELESS,
WHICH IS A BIT LIKE BEING IN THE ARMY, YOU GOT POSTED TO DIFFERENT PLACES.
SO THE FIRST PLACE I REMEMBER WAS ADEN, WHICH IS NOW A PART OF YEMEN,
WHICH IS LIKE THE SURFACE OF THE MOON ONLY HOT.
AND THEN AT THE AGE OF FIVE WE MOVED TO ALEXANDRIA IN EGYPT,
WHICH WAS THE SORT OF FORMATIVE PLACE OF MY CHILDHOOD, REALLY. I WAS THERE FOR FIVE YEARS.
AND AFTER THAT I SUFFERED THE MORE CONVENTIONAL FATE OF MIDDLE CLASS ENGLISH BOYS,
WHICH IS THAT I GOT SENT TO BOARDING SCHOOL.
I THINK IT WAS A VERY GOOD SORT OF UPBRINGING FOR A WRITER.
I MEAN ONE OF THE PREREQUISITES FOR BEING A WRITER, I THINK, IS TO BE AN OBSERVER AND TO BE OUTSIDE.
I’VE BEEN A BIG FAN OF CHRISTOPHER HAMPTON’S FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
HE IS, I THINK, ONE OF THE MOST NOTABLE STYLISTS WORKING IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE TODAY.
WHETHER IT’S ON THE STAGE OR WHETHER IT’S IN FILM,
HE WRITES FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF SOMEONE WHO REALLY USES THE LANGUAGE CAREFULLY AND WELL.