I used to be a high jumper and could jump my own height. Now I can only jump my height if measured when I’m lying down!
2. What is your nickname?
I don’t have a nickname but several times people have confused my surname and introduced me as Mike Dumbledore!
3. What is your greatest fear?
World leaders who put self-interest before making the world a better place for the next generation.
4. Describe your writing style in 10 words.
Sometimes funny, sometimes touching, often rhyming, often sparse.
5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer.
Dedicated, painstaking, organised, patient and persistent.
6. What book character would you be, and why?
Gandalf the wizard, because wizardry would be a great backup when things get tricky.
7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why?
I wouldn’t go anywhere in case I got stuck there and couldn’t get back.
8. What would your 10-year-old self say to you now?
'You’ve had a very fortunate life so never let me hear you moaning.'
9. Who is your greatest influence?
My wife, Linda. We discuss everything and that often shapes what I do next.
10. What/who made you start writing?
My grandfather was a definite inspiration. He was a local village poet in Oxfordshire, England, who regularly recited his poems to the family (with or without requests).
11. What is your favourite word and why?
Mesmerise, because it sounds wizardly and speaks of everything that is wonderful and engaging in life.
12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be?
The complete works of Shakespeare.
Mike Dumbleton is a writer and literacy consultant who has worked in South Australian and New York City schools. He has written children’s books and educational texts. Part of his interest in writing stems from the fact that his grandfather was a local poet in an Oxfordshire village in England. For more information, see www.mikedumbleton.com.au.
