Michael Frayn

And I think we followed his mother around for an hour or two and she didn't get in touch with the German high command or steal any plans for secret aircraft or whatever.

And we got bored and gave up.

But I just started to think, what would have happened if we'd been a bit more persistent and we followed her around?

What would we have made of an adult life, particularly if there turned out to be some sort of discrepancies in it, as there is in most people's lives?

Those two central characters are based on memories, and my friend's parents are very much based on my friend's real parents.

A funny thing occurred towards the end of writing the novel.

It occurred to me that if I was still alive, my friend might still be alive, and he might not like the picture I painted of his parents.

So I tried to get in touch with him.

I couldn't find him anywhere.

But before I finished the book, out of the blue, I got a letter saying, you won't remember me, but we used to play games together when we were children and we had a camp in a hedge from where we fought the third right.

In case I still didn't remember who he was, and of course I did, he said at the bottom, the one with the terrible father.

Ah.

So, of course, I had to get in touch with him and tell him that I was writing this book.

And when I finished, I showed it to him.

I don't know what I would have done if he'd said, I really find this very offensive and I'm very hurt by what you've said about my father.

Yes, absolutely.

So that was based on real events.

...brutal for his son.

And what would I have done?

Would I have put it on the shelf and forgotten about it?