Really Good

Where is home?                     
Mainly London but we spend all our holidays in a bungalow overlooking the sea in North Cornwall. I have a studio down there where I get a lot of my creative work done.


What is your favourite breakfast?
Crispy bacon and grilled tomatoes on fried bread with a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice and a cup of strong filter coffee (milk and half a teaspoon of brown sugar)


Edward Monkton was once described as the Messiah. Who said that and how accurate was that?
That was a preacher in Sarasota, Florida. A lot of what I write promotes many of the values in a lot of religions but I prefer simply to think of my work as expounding the secular values of LOVE and HAPPINESS.

What is your guilty pleasure?
Pork scratchings. My children occasionally give me sweets called Toxic Waste, which I enjoy as well. I find the name so charming – and they are really, really sour.


Do you have pets?
We have 5 guinea pigs. We also borrow a 3-legged lurcher and a cocker spaniel a lot.


Where do you best think about life, philosphy, the universe etc?
In bed at night. You get some pretty odd answers in that moment just before your brain unplugs and goes to sleep.


Tea or coffee?
2 cups of coffee, then a pint of elderflower cordial, then a cup of Indian tea in a thick-rimmed mug. At tea time – a cup of Earl Grey in a thin-rimmed cup, since you asked.


What bemuses you in life?
Rudeness.


Have you got a rant?
Yes. RAP LYRICS... I mean what are they on about?! They’re so negative, so swaggery, so vulgar and the rhymes are awfully lazy. And why do its exponents give themselves such silly names? I mean, Snoop Dog, P. Diddy, Biggy Smalls...! Chaps, you’re meant to sound like hardcore gangsters, not children’s television programmes.

Also, why does my razor need 5 blades and a name like a cross between a nuclear reactor and a racing car? Oh, God. Here we go...


Favourite words that rhyme?
We are very lucky in the English language that “ME” and “YOU” are such easy words to rhyme. They are not clever, but they have helped me out a lot, and are good old friends.


Who's your favourite Monkton character and why?
The Pig of Happiness. Because his inane smile has an indefinable craziness to it. He definitely knows something that we don’t.


What were you crap at in school, apart from drawing !!?
Rugby. I didn’t like getting my knees dirty. I know. Sorry.


Sea or city?
Sea – without hesitation.


Who or what is the biggest influence in your life?
My wife, my children and Michael Leunig.


Do you consider yourself a writer, philosopher, or just somebody with a chemical imbalance?
A writer, a philosopher and somebody with a chemical imbalance.


What's in your pockets?
Keys, wallet and iPhone. That’s it. I don’t like to have anything superfluous. It confuses me. I’m very simple.


Fave film, book, band?
I forget most films the day after I’ve seen them. I do like the Austin Powers movies, though, because they’re so generous, silly and high-spirited. Book – Peter Pan. Band - can I have Leonard Cohen please?


You've written a number of books and two best selling card ranges now. What has given you most pleasure?
Creatively, anything I do that I’ve never done before is very satisfying – it’s all about not knowing at the start what is likely to come out at the end – if anything at all. So the feedback I got via the Edward Monkton website when it first started was wonderfully heartening.


What would you do if you weren't writing?
I don’t want to boast but I’d make a very good cleaner.


How do you relax?
Exercise and wine. OK, wine. I like kayaking too, but it’s hard to do in London.


Is there a hidden message or mantra in your Monkton cards ?
Be playful, be kind, be happy and be nice to one another. I’m not sure it’s very hidden, though. It’s all encapsulated in one drawing called LET US BE LOVELY.


Are the rest of your family like you?
I actually have an identical twin who is very like me.


Can you multi-task?
Absolutely not. I find it hard enough to mono-task.


A lot has been written about your health. How are you now?
Physically and mentally stable, thank you. But I’m still on the tablets.


And finally, what's next for you and Edward Monkton ?
Tentatively a television series. I’ll keep you posted.

Last Updated: January 08, 2010