My Life: Adam Croft

How would you describe yourself ?

Father, author and professional avoider of getting a real job.

Where is home? And work ?

I live in Bedfordshire — about an hour from Rutland — and am fortunate to be able to work from anywhere I like. I’ve got a purpose-built office at home, which keeps the commute down to about three minutes if I stop at the coffee machine on the way.

What did you want to be when you were younger?

I didn’t really have enough focus to settle on any one thing for longer than a week or two, but I’ve always wanted to entertain people in some way. Being a writer was generally at the top of the list, as were acting, being a rock guitarist and playing football for England. My brain tends not to communicate all that quickly or well with my fingers and feet, so that very much ruled out the last two of those prospects, although I’ve been lucky to do the others professionally.

Name a few of your favourite places to be...?

With all due love and affection to Rutland, my happy place is a sun lounger next to a pool on a Greek island — ideally with an ice-cold beer next to me. It’s been nearly three years since I’ve managed to get abroad, and I intend to make the most up for that this year. In this country, it has to be Rutland — without a doubt. My parents live in Oakham, so I spend a lot of time in the area and often enjoy the beautiful countryside walks — a necessary activity after the amount of time I spend in the local pubs and restaurants. Narrowing my favourite Rutland eateries and drinking holes down to just one would be impossible, but the best food I’ve had recently was in Orbis’s new restaurant at the old Mill Street Hotel in Oakham. They also stock one of my favourite whiskies, which gives them bonus points. It wouldn’t be the same without a couple of cocktails from Ovation (Gaol Street) first, though. If I’m looking for a slightly lighter evening, it’s difficult to beat dinner at the Lord Nelson in Oakham, washed down with a couple of pints of Oakham Citra.

What or who inspires you?

I think most people do, in some way or another. I know a lot of writers liken themselves to sponges (and the visual resemblance for some is striking) but I really do think I take something from all situations and all people I come across, in some way or another.

I try not to get too heavily inspired by other writers, mainly because it makes me feel incredibly inferior. I also think it’s important for writers to maintain their own voice. Readers can spot it a mile off if an author isn’t writing authentically, and it makes their books feel stilted and awkward.

Having said that, I do have some heroes. I’m always in awe of Peter James’s style and ability to write in such a visual and direct way. He spent many years as a film producer and has a unique talent for making his books as easy to read as watching a film. My absolute literary hero, though, is Harold Pinter. I fell in love with his work the moment I first read and saw The Birthday Party, and am chilled to the bone by his unique voice every time I read one of his plays.

What was the last gift you gave someone?

I took my partner away for her birthday last week, and we stayed in a hotel which was an old converted prison in the middle of a castle. It’s a fascinating and beautiful building, and it was certainly an experience spending a night in a prison cell, even if it did have a soft-pile carpet, hot water and a Corby trouser press. In short, the last gift I gave someone was a night in prison.

Tell us a secret/fun fact?

It feels a bit odd calling this either a secret or ‘fun’, but I’ve seen both Ant and Dec’s ‘family bits’. I’ll leave that hanging, so to speak, because the story behind it is far more mundane than you might expect.

Who or what would you place in room 101?

People who say ‘haitch’, Oxford commas, and Stoke-on-Trent.

Your mastermind subject?

I’d love to go on Mastermind, but I’m very much a Jack of all trades and master of none. I’d do pretty well on the general knowledge round, but I’ve no doubt I’d be in last place before that. I’d either go for the history of Arsenal Football Club or the plays of Harold Pinter because I’d have an excuse to spend weeks reading them all over and over again.

What’s been your biggest life lesson?

If you see a sign that says, ‘Don’t push this button’, don’t.
Readers can buy signed and personalised books directly from my website, www.adamcroft.net