A prolific reader, Julia didn’t start to read like a writer until she was 15, and read Jane Eyre. She took an MA in creative writing, but concentrated on poetry. It wasn’t until the end of the course that she had an idea for a novel.

Guilt-racked Britons are using their sheds to eat unhealthy snacks and store love letters from old flames, a new survey has shown.

Murderer Mark Bridger who was jailed for killing five-year-old April Jones has launched an appeal bid, the schoolgirl’s parents have said.