Host (Waterstones Podcast)

But also in the book we do have his writing back again because of these incredible letters that he's writing to his grandson for him to read in the future.

And one of my favourites of those letters was the one where he was talking about

Well, you as Momo, as this idea of the grandmothers and the family known as Momo.

Could you explain a little bit about what that word actually means, where it comes from?

It's so beautiful because he talks about a chain of love that exists, sort of passed down from one generation to the next.

It's so clear that he was almost keeping himself alive because he wanted to see Miles being bored, didn't he?

There's a beautiful picture of him looking over the crib at little baby Miles.

But that idea of, I suppose, him living on in those words, in that picture, in the idea of Miles.

The title Ghost Stories has many, many meanings to the book and people will discover that when they read it.

But there is a very significant moment that you describe when you come back from the funeral and you feel him very much present.

Do you mind talking a little bit about what you mean by that?

It's interesting that you mentioned that sense of joy that you felt at that moment.

You're very, I suppose, generous in talking about the moment at which Paul died.

And you say that just as that moment was approaching, you remembered how much fun you'd had together.

That was the word that came into your head was like, oh, my God, the fun.

Just to finish off, I wondered whether you might share what you mean by that, like one moment of sort of fun that you had with him.

It's a fantastic note on which to end, Ceri.

I can't thank you enough for this book.

It's a really beautiful thing and to have some time to talk to you about it in a bit more detail.

We did one, but let's do another one.