WHATBOOK..? EOIN COLFER

…are you reading now?

THE historical or possibly science fiction literary adventure story The Second Sleep, by Robert Harris, set in the Middle Ages — or so the reader thinks, until the hero stumbles on an ancient artefact that looks a lot like an iPhone. So are we in the future or the past, or are we trapped in a cycle of history repeating itself? I have read a lot of Harris’s books and it seems as though there is no genre he cannot bend to his will. It’s vastly entertaining but also literary. Whenever I see one of his books on a shelf, be it a spy thriller or historical fiction, it goes straight in the basket.

…would you take to a desert island?

I WOULD cheat a little there and take the Mortdecai trilogy by Kyril Bonfiglioli. It details the exploits of Charlie Mortdecai, dissolute art dealer and part-time spy, who drinks his way from one ludicrous situation to another, enjoying as much of the good life as he can on the way. He has to stay one step ahead of the various agencies determined to have his head on a Victorian sterling silver platter. Bonfiglioli’s novels contain some of the finest comic writing in the English language and easily withstand repeated readings. Chock-full of ribaldry, sly wit, arty puns and outlandish characters, the Mortdecai collection is a bible for comedy writers.

…first gave you the reading bug?

MY PARENTS were always reading, and I remember watching them staring into these objects for hours and wondering what was so fascinating in there. I finally found out for myself some years later when my mother handed me Stig Of The Dump by Clive King while I was in bed with the flu. I read the book three times over two days. I think what I liked so much was the blend of realism and fantasy, and the fact that the main character, Barney, was a very ordinary boy, just like me — instead of a hero with a royal destiny. I think Barney was the first leading man I ever really identified with. I went from Barney to Huckleberry Finn, and by then I was completely hooked. So thanks, Mum.

…left you cold?

I DON’T remember ever being left cold by a book, perhaps because I know how much work goes into them so I’m prepared to give any story the benefit of the doubt. Having said that, there was one book that I couldn’t bear to read, or rather re-read. I have always been a big Bowie fan, and as a younger man I made a considerable investment in the coffee table tome David Bowie Is by Geoffrey Marsh, which is a gorgeous, lush volume tracing Bowie’s life and career. It’s illustrated with glossy photos which captured the quirks and genius of The Thin White Duke. When Bowie died in 2016, it seemed a large chunk of my adolescence died with him. I thought I might return to Marsh’s book to reconnect with him, but I found I couldn’t bear to. This is a testament to how good that book is. It means as much to me as the music itself and I will have to calm down before I can face it.

The Fowl Twins by eoin Colfer is published by harperCollins at £14.99 (hardback) and £9.99 (ebook)