5 MINUTES WITH CATHY KELLY, author of Christmas Magic

WHEN DID YOU FIRST WANT TO BE A WRITER? WHAT AUDIOBOOKS HAVE YOU ENJOYED RECENTLY?

When my baby sister, Lucy, started sharing my bedroom as a child, I finally had a captive audience. Until then, I’d told stories to my teddies but Lucy loved them. I think that planted the seed in me to be a storyteller, but making that giant leap of faith to becoming a writer took many years. I simply didn’t have the courage and worked as a journalist, thinking I was very bad at that because I worked on news and I was like an empathy sieve; no good for news! Finally, when I was 27, I thought I’d just write in my spare time and see what happened.

WHAT ARE YOU PROUDEST OF IN YOUR CAREER?

I’m proudest of taking that first leap. I suffer terribly with insecurity and recently published the novel The Family Gift, with a heroine who has a very sharply spoken inner voice named Mildred. I have a Mildred. She’s like one of those people who can reduce you to a quivering mass of jelly with a single look down her ski-slope nose. So writing at all was a huge leap and I’m proud I did it.

WHAT DOES WRITING FEEL LIKE TO YOU?

I could never imagine not writing. I love it and when a book goes well, I am so happy. On the days when nothing works, it is very, very hard and the urge to wash the kitchen floor is intense (I hate washing the kitchen floor).

I’ve been through sad times lately and have found great comfort listening to Stephen Fry’s gorgeous voice reading the Harry Potter books. Such genius from JK Rowling (who does so much for charity, which is always an important barometer for me). Utter comfort and bliss.