The Writers Write Interview – Prue Leith

In this post, we share our interview with Prue Leith. The author was our guest at an event in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Prue Leith is a British-South African restaurateur, television presenter, cookery writer, and novelist. Her works include Relish: My Life on a Plate, The Food of Love, and Leaving Patrick.

The Writers Write Interview With Prue Leith

The Author: Prue Leith
Date: 14 September 2009
Place: 10 Bompas Road, Dunkeld West, Sandton
Date of birth: 18 February 1940
The Book: Choral Society

1.   Who is your favourite hero of fiction?

Septimus Harding (sweet, wonderful man) from The Warden by Anthony Trollope.

2.   What is your most treasured possession?

A picture that was drawn by my son when he was 10-years-old and given to me on my 47th birthday. It was a proclamation in the form of a scroll.

3.   Which living person do you most dislike?

Bob Monkhouse.

4.   What is your greatest fear?

Losing my marbles (senile dementia).

5.   Who or what has been the greatest love of your life?

My late husband and author, Rayne Kruger.

6.   What is your greatest regret?

I had no music around me as a child, so it is not in my blood.

7.   If you could choose to be a character in a book, who would it be?

Jock of the Bushveld.

8.   Which book have you read the most in your lifetime?

Emma by Jane Austen along with the rest of her work.

9.   What is your favourite journey?

A horse-riding safari in Botswana.

10.  What do you most value in a friend?

Friends who keep in touch. Mostly the friendship of women.

11.  What quality do you most admire in a woman?

“Un-self-consciousness” – Being natural.

12.  Which book that  you’ve written is your favourite?

The Gardener.

13.  What advice would you give to aspiring authors?

1. Read a lot.
2. Take writing lessons.
3. Stick at it.

14.  What are your favourite names?

Good old English names – Kate, Jane, Patrick, James. I suppose they could be classified as boring names.

15.  What do you do as a hobby?

1. Walking holidays.
2. Tennis.
3. Gardening.

16.  What are your top three books? 

1. The Warden – Anthony Trollope.
2. Other Men’s Flowers – Poetry collection.
3. Hamlet – William Shakespeare.

17.  Where do you get your greatest ideas for writing?

Overhearing conversations.

18.  What do you prefer, Dogs or Cats? 

Cats – I have a Bengal tiger cat called Magnificat.

Source for image: @PrueLeith

Interviewed by Amanda Patterson
14 September 2009

If you want to read more of our interviews, click here