StyleNest talk to best-selling author Deborah Moggach to discuss her forth coming Literary Lunch which she is hosting in partnership with D&Ds Almeida restaurant and NSPCC Islington.

StyleNest chat literature, lunch and London and find out the secrets behind how to break into the world of publishing.

Both your parents were writers, how do you think that shaped you as a writer?

They made it seem perfectly natural, I just presumed all parents sat at their typewriters all day. More importantly, they taught me discipline – they worked office hours and didn’t just write when they felt like it.

You have had a very colourful life and have also spent time living in Pakistan. How have your experiences shaped your writing?

It’s all fed in – sometimes it takes years to settle but eventually it emerges. My Pakistan experiences only re-surfaced after I’d been back home for ten years. Basically, I ruthlessly use my own life, and my friends’ lives – but they end up unrecognizable because they’ve been transmuted into fiction.

You have teamed up with the NSPCC for the Almeida Literary Lunch. Can you tell our readers a little bit about the event and what to expect?

We’ll have a gorgeous meal and then I’ll hopefully entertain everyone with stories from my writing and film life. I actually love public speaking, I’m a bit of an actress manqué, so I hope it’ll be fun. I’ll throw in some jokes, anyway. And all in a VERY good cause.

You are most well known for your best-selling novel The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel for the Elderly & Beautiful, which was made into a feature-length film with Judi Dench and Bill Nighy. Did you have much creative involvement in the film?

Not a lot because in the end the script was written by somebody else. But they asked me a bit about casting etc, and I did get a trip to India out of it, visiting the set. Which was utter magic. Those actors, and India, and hundreds of Rajastani extras… thrilling beyond belief that my words had caused this to happen.

Alongside being a best-selling novelist, you are also a mum of two. How do you juggle motherhood with having such a successful career?

It’s a lot easier than if one had to go to an office. One is always at home, on tap, for the children even if one’s distracted – and no commuting. So neither me nor they can complain really. And I like being at home so I can keep the household going – sticking clothes in the washing machine and so on. If one went out all day you’d have all that piled up when you got home.

Being a mum of two do you ever find time for yourself? What do you do to relax and unwind?

I swim in the ponds on Hampstead Heath, which is opposite my house. And I bicycle a lot in London, which I find very liberating as well as healthy. Writing all day is NOT good exercise.

How do you find inspiration when writing a new novel?

That’s so difficult. It might be a painting that triggers something in me, or a person I see in the street. Or just an idea – Best Exotic came about because I was wondering how we’re all going to cope when we get old, there won’t be the money to pay for us.

For aspiring writers, can you give our readers a few top tips on how to get started and break into the world of publishing?

Write something you really care about and be beholden to nobody but your characters. Let them tell YOU their story. Character is everything – there are only so many plots in the world and they mean nothing if we don’t care about the people they happen to.

Can you give our readers insight into any exciting projects you might be working on now or in the future?

I’m writing a novel set partly in Africa, and a little in China. A big leap in the dark as I know very little about them, but good old Google… And I have a story I want to tell.

We are an age of technology, how can we encourage children to put down the iPad and pick up a book?

Good question. Give them bookplates when they’re little , so they can stick them in their favourite books and feel ownership. You own nothing on an iPad, you just rent it and it can all be wiped off. Get them to write their own stories and make their own books. It’s a tough one I must say.

Studies have shown that our literacy levels are on the decline. What is the best way to remedy this for the current and future generations?

Another tough question. Good, inspiring teachers are hugely important. We should pay them properly and not inundate them with paperwork. And give them proper status in our society.

You live in London, what are your favourite restaurants, shops and cafes? Any family friendly spots you always go back to?

I love Lemonia in Primrose Hill, a kicking neighbourhood restaurant that’s been loved for generations (Greek). I love Maison Bertaux in Soho, the most magical tea shop in London. And actually I still love Camden Lock – it’s so buzzy and I love seeing new generations discover it.

Do you have a motto?

“Everything matters, but nothing matters that much.”

Tickets are priced at £45 per person and all proceeds from the event will go to NSPCC . 

To buy tickets, please contact Alison by calling 020 7226 7738 or emailing [email protected]