Which book from your childhood would you have liked to be in, and which character would you have liked to be?

As a child I loved Enid Blyton's stories. The ones I loved the most were mainly the Famous Five and the Adventure series. So instead of choosing one book, I'm going to choose two, one from each.

From the Famous Five I'd going to choose Five Go Off in a Caravan. The summer weather, the whole vacations in front of you, and even more importantly, the glorious sense of freedom and adventure associated, as a child, with the idea of planning a holiday with a group of friends and then doing it… I remember loving the part at the beginning, when they are just lying around outdoors, planning. Such an enjoyable, happy feeling. And then, of course, actually carrying the plan out, and going in those cosy caravans, on their own. I also have a very vivid memory of reading for the first time that passage where Julian is secretly lying on the roof of the caravan, waiting and then spying on Tiger Dan and company (great villains, by the way, so scary), and I remember being completely thrilled by the whole situation, and so eager to pass the page and find out what would happen. It would be so awful if they caught him!

What character? I'm not sure. I would have been happy being one more of the group, sharing the adventure with all the others. But let's choose one I wanted to be… My favourite character was probably George, but I didn't see myself in that role. She was just so cool in my mind. As good (or better) than any boy, as she would say, to my complete agreement. I admired her disregard for conventions and how she did and said exactly what she wanted. Maybe this would stand out less nowadays, when adventurous roles in fiction are for girls more often than for boys, but at that time she was special, and brave. Even her flaws (moodiness, temper) made her seem more real to me. Then I also liked Julian, and didn't mind that he could be bossy sometimes. I looked up to him and he gave me a sense of security, like the feeling that if he was around a solution would always be found and everything would be OK in the end. But I also didn't see myself in that role. As a child, I saw him more as an elder-brother figure. And, while I certainly didn't dislike Anne, I didn't want to be her either. I wanted to be Dick, who was always joking and ready for any adventure, but didn't have to take the responsibility of leadership like Julian did. So that's who I'll choose, even though he often didn't have as many cool moments as Julian or George.

From the Adventure series, even though Valley of Adventure is extremely thrilling and could easily be my choice, I'm going to go with another one that's perhaps more low-key but that I also love whole-heartedly, Castle of Adventure. It's such a perfect adventure, and also one that gave me, as someone who is not English, a very English-vibe (I always think Blyton was at her best when writing adventures in her country, where the setting always felt very authentic, while the foreign-based adventures, no matter how great Valley of Adventure is, often gave me a less authentic vibe). I remember reading for the first time the scene when they are trying to get into the castle, using a wooden plank as a bridge to reach one of the windows, and I remember how it also gave me such a wonderful sense of anticipation, wondering what adventures and discoveries might follow. I also remember the feeling of reading that scene, later on, when Jack is hidden inside that tree, waiting patiently to photograph the eagles, and instead is trapped when the bad guys arrive, and he has to stay there, still hidden, but unable to escape or communicate with anyone outside. Such an exciting situation.

What character? Well, any of the two boys would do. Philip and Jack, I loved both of them. But, having to choose one, I'll go with Jack, for that eagle-photographing solo adventure, and for owning Kiki, the parrot, whom I loved.