Cathy Hopkins (edit name/settings)

Name:
Cathy Hopkins

Star Sign:
Aquarius (January 23rd)

Where were you born?
Manchester, England

Did you grow up there?
No. I also lived in Kenya from the age of 5 – 11.

What schools did you go to?

St Joseph’s Infant School, Manchester
Machakos Primary School, Kenya
Lugard School, Nakuru, Kenya
St Cuthbert’s, Manchester
Hollies Convent, Manchester
Loreto Convent, Manchester

(So many schools. No wonder I’m confused!*@!)

What were you like at school?
When very young, a smarmy little git then later at secondary school, a well behaved rebel.

Have you got brothers and sisters?
Five brothers. No sisters. Some people say that this explains a lot. I don’t know what they mean (cue maniacal laughter!)

Where do you live now?
On top of a hill in Bath, South West England. And no, I’m not the fool on the hill. OK. Maybe I am then…

Who do you live with?
Husband Steve & Cats: Dixie, Georgia and Otis.

How did you get started writing?
In 1987, I did a series of humour books with cartoonist Gray Jolliffe and that gave me the writing bug.

When did you start writing teenage fiction?
In 2000

What did you do before you were a writer?
Loads of things. In order since I left school:

Went to art college.
Rock and roll singer with Driving Rock and the Rockettes (Click here to see picture – I’m the Rockette in the checked shirt!).
Worked in cool hippie dippie shop in Manchester called On the Eighth Day.
Worked in a mental hospital as an occupational therapist.
Back to college to do a degree in comparative religion and train to teach (which I never did though my dad keeps reminding me that I have a degree in the attic and when am I going to get a proper job???).
Taught meditation.
Trained and worked as an aromatherapist.
Wrote non fiction books about relationships.
Wrote books about aromatherapy.
Decided I wanted to be a full time writer. Did loads of writing courses.
Read scripts for the BBC comedy department.
Reviewed newspapers for Sky News on Friday mornings.
Then hurrah hurrah, got commissioned to write teenage books and children’s books and am now well and truly happy and don’t want another job thank you very much. I’d like to stay doing this one.

Where do you write?
In an office at the top of our house. It’s fab up there with the most awesome views of Bath. Otis the cat loves it. I can’t leave him up there alone as he likes to walk on the computer and I’ve come back to my desk after a break to find whole pages wiped out and replaced by gobbledy gook and a grinning Otis sitting there going, ‘OK, I deleted that rubbish you were writing and did my own version. So what do you think of the masterpiece?’

What’s your favourite TV program?
Keeps changing. I like to get American DVD sets and watch a whole series in a week.

Who makes you laugh?
Eddie Izzard. My cats.

What did you want to be as a child?
A ballet dancer (cue maniacal laughter from anyone who has seen my attempts in more recent years).

What was your favourite book as a child?
What Katy Did

What’s your favourite children’s book now?
I like loads of them but if I had to pick, Holes by Louis Sachar.

What’s your favourite adult book?
Too many to mention. Books are my favourite things.

What’s your favourite movie?
Can I have 3?

Yes you can, as this is your web site!

Once Upon a Time in America
Wayne’s World
The Seven Faces of Doctor Lao oh and Withnail and I (so that’s 4)

What’s your favourite colour?
Pale turquoise

Do you have an agent?
Yes. Christopher Little.

What is the most important lesson that being a writer has taught you?
Never give up.