Matt Haig

But it's...

I think, you know, I know one of my first memories was definitely falling into a patch of stinging nettles in our back garden when we lived in North Nottinghamshire in a village called Ramby.

It wasn't a picturesque village particularly because we had the A1 just literally beyond our hedge.

And my nan had been looking after me.

My parents were out.

And I fell into a patch of stinging nettles.

And the thing about stinging nettles and being a toddler is if you're trying to get out of the stinging nettles, you're making the situation worse because you're getting stung in your effort to escape.

So I think that was certainly my first unhappy memory.

But it may also be tied to a slightly happier one.

Because my favourite thing to do in the garden, when my nan or my mum was out, like hanging, washing on the line, they would have a little yellow plastic wash basket.

And I used to occupy myself by throwing it in the air and trying to catch it on my head.

And that was my main hobby for a year or so.

But that might be why I fell into the stinging nettles.

Well, absolutely.

I think so.

Certainly my life.

I mean, yeah, absolutely.

Yes, but my mother was adopted, so she wasn't her mother by blood, but my nan was a very special person.

After my parents was the most significant person in my life, at least when my sister was born, when I was little, she was probably the kindest person I knew.

What was her name?