Trivia

One of the things I've often been asked in relation to this book is what my favourite English word is. I've given a few different answers: mellifluous, skulduggery, toothsome, fulcrum, piglet. However, my favourite word that comes up in the book isn't an English one; it's the Basque term for a butterfly, pinpilinpauxa.

Some other questions that I've been asked: Would you consider writing a sequel about the secret life of numbers? Would you rather speak Turkish or Welsh? Does your book have anything to do with Isabel Coixet's film The Secret Life of Words? How good are you at Scrabble?

On a different note... the original jacket for the UK edition of The Secret Life of Words was designed by Will Webb. You can see it, along with some other examples of his work, here.