Beginner’s Pluck: London-born Miranda Pountney

'How to Be Somebody Else' is original, clever and compulsive. And the writing is glorious

Miranda Pountney came up with the idea for her debut novel halfway through an MA in Creative Writing course. Picture: Rebecca Reid

Brought up in Somerset, England, where there were more sheep than people, Miranda had a glorious childhood.

“My father, a teacher, was a storyteller and our house was full of books. My mother ran a B&B, so I met kids from all over the world.”