The 5-Minute Interview: Peter Ackroyd, Writer

'The ideal night out for me is writing. I can write anywhere'

Peter Ackroyd, 57, presents 'London Visions', on Artsworld, Sky Channel 267, on Fridays at 8.30pm

If I weren't talking to you right now I'd be...

Sitting by the word processor writing. I'm working on a play for the Old Vic about Shakespeare. It's in the early stages.

A phrase I use far too often is...

"Oh dear, I don't know".

At the moment I am reading...

Bouvard et Pécuchet by Gustave Flaubert.

The writers who have most inspired me are...

Dickens and Blake.

The work that most inspired me is...

The Canterbury Tales.

The last play I saw was...

David Mamet's The Cryptogram at the Donmar Warehouse. I liked its tension.

I'm good at...

Writing.

But I'm very bad at...

Writing.

In moments of weakness I...

Brush my teeth.

I wish people would take more notice of...

Buildings. People don't look up at the top storeys. They're often the most interesting storeys of all.

The most surprising thing that ever happened to me was...

Being born.

A common misperception of me is...

I don't think people have any perceptions of me.

The ideal night out is...

Writing. I can write anywhere.

In a nutshell, my philosophy is this:

Don't have a philosophy.

Elisa Bray