What was the first book to make an impression on you?

The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough, for the sex bits mainly. It was the first book I ever finished.

What was your favourite book as a child?

The Shrinking of Treehorn.

And what is your favourite book or books now?

Anything by Jonathan Franzen, Bill Bryson, Alan Hollinghurst, David Sedaris, Lorrie Moore.

What is your favourite quotation?

“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.” – Maya Angelou

Who is your favourite fictional character?

Francie Brady, The Butcher Boy.

Who is the most under-rated Irish author?

Paul Murray, author of Skippy Dies.

Which do you prefer – ebooks or the traditional print version?

Traditional print version always.

What is the most beautiful book you own?

A signed copy of The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion.

Where and how do you write?

Where – in a little room with a sea view in Sandycove. How – when I’ve exhausted every possible excuse not to.

What book changed the way you think about fiction?

Becoming a Writer by Dorothea Brande.

What is the most research you have done for a book?

I've only written two and as the first was largely based on my own life, I would have to say the second, The Playground.

What book influenced you the most?

There's several of them: The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollinghurst; The Sea by John Banville; Enduring Love by Ian McEwan.

What book would you give to a friend’s child on their 18th birthday?

A Girl Named Skippy by Haven Kimmel.

What book do you wish you had read when you were young?

I wish I’d read more of everything. I came to reading late and wish I had appreciated books earlier in my life. There were so many in our house that I took them for granted.

What advice would you give to an aspiring author?

Try to have the courage to write a complete first draft and then go back to the start to rewrite and improve it, though I find this very hard to do myself. I tend to get bogged down with the minor things very early on and that means it takes me a painfully long time to finish a draft.

What weight do you give reviews?

The amount of reviews you get is probably more important that the content of those reviews.

Where do you see the publishing industry going?

I hope there’ll be a backlash against the whole online thing and that people will return to their local bookshops and buy lovely actual books.

What writing trends have struck you lately?

Don’t feel I can comment on this as have read so little over the last few years while trying to finish this novel.

What lessons have you learned about life from reading?

There’s never enough time to read all the books I want to.

What has being a writer taught you?

Be careful who you put in your novels.

Which writers, living or dead, would you invite to your dream dinner party?

David Sedaris, Alan Hollinghurst, Zoe Heller, John Banville, Lorrie Moore, Bill Bryson.

What is the funniest scene you’ve read?

It's in Lucky Jim, where Jim Dixon is attempting to deliver his Merrie England lecture.

What is your favourite word?

Firefly.

If you were to write a historical novel which event or figure would be your subject?

Grace O’Malley, The Pirate Queen.

What sentence or passage or book are you proudest of?

I'm most proud of The Playground because there were many times I thought I wouldn't get it finished.

What is the most moving book or passage you have read?

The last page of On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan made me cry.

If you have a child, what book did you most enjoy reading to them?

Grimm’s fairy tales and the Don’t let the Pigeon series.

Julia Kelly is author of The Playground (Quercus), which will be reviewed in The Irish Times this Saturday by George O'Brien