Born in Australia, Kathy Lette, 65, co-wrote her first novel, Puberty Blues, when she was 17. It was published in 1979 and became a film and TV series. She moved to the UK in the late 80s and went on to write international bestsellers. Her titles include Girls’ Night Out, Foetal Attraction, Mad Cows, The Boy Who Fell to Earth, and The Revenge Club, which has just been published. She is an ambassador for Ambitious About Autism and the National Autistic Society. She has two children and lives between London and Sydney.
When were you happiest?
When the book of my enemy was discounted.
What is your greatest fear?
My own books being discounted. Oh, and sharks. The reason we Aussies swim so fast is because something much bigger is always trying to eat us.
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
I can’t cook. I use my smoke alarm as a timer.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
People who pretend to have perfect marriages. Perfect marriages are like orgasms – many of them are faked.
What was your most embarrassing moment?
Bumping into my male boss at a nudist beach.
What is your most treasured possession?
My three honorary doctorates. I left school at 16. The only examination I’ve ever passed is my smear test. But what I crave is a companion of literature, which is abbreviated to a C Lit. Now that would rub me up the right way.
Describe yourself in three words
Mischievous, feminist, hornbag.
What makes you unhappy?
Misogyny.
What do you most dislike about your appearance?
My height. I’m only 5ft 3in, so spend my life looking up nostrils.
What scares you about getting older?
Ageist sexism. A man my age is a silver fox whereas I’m dismissed as a hag. You never hear a man dismissed as mutton dressed as ram.
Who is your celebrity crush?
Cillian Murphy.
What does love feel like?
Falling in love is like going to the doctor and being told that you need to put on weight. You feel elated.
What is the worst job you’ve done?
Bedpan emptier in a hospital.
What has been your biggest disappointment?
Not winning any literary prizes.
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What would you like to leave your children?
A big dollop of hope. I want them to embrace my maxim that optimism is not an eye disease.
What is the closest you’ve come to death?
Hitchhiking across Australia as a teenager, relying on the kindness of passing serial killers.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Raising two children. If you can get your kids to adulthood and they’re not voting Tory, doing drugs or collecting Nazi memorabilia, then you deserve a medal.
What keeps you awake at night?
Worrying about the faux pas I made earlier that evening. I tend to suffer from foot-in-mouth disease.
Would you rather have more sex, money or fame?
More sex, obviously.
How would you like to be remembered?
As a writer who championed women with grit and wit.
