James Moloney

My latest book is Lost Property

It’s about Josh Tambling who gets a holiday job at the Lost Property Office at Sydney Station, meets a man there who prompts him to think more deeply about what means most to him in life and then goes in search of his estranged brother.

The best thing about being a writer is living inside your own imagination for hours at a time, crafting words to make them better than the first time your wrote them and not being a 9 to 5 employee

If I wasn’t a writer I’d be a portrait painter

My first published work was Crossfire

Morning person or night-owl? Definitely a morning person. I always hated homework and rarely work after dinner, but there have been times I’ve risen at 4.00 am to write.

My first job was selling Art Union tickets on the streets of Brisbane. First fulltime job was Primary teaching.

On a quiz show, my special subject would be I’m more a general knowledge person but if I had to choose it would be the television series West Wing

My last holiday was ten days travelling in Tasmania with my wife and three children

My perfect Saturday is: get up when I feel like it, make tea for my wife and me and stay in bed reading the newspapers

The last CD I bought was a greatest hits compilation of Eric Clapton’s work

I’m currently reading Old Filth by Jane Gardam. The last young person’s book I read was The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas

Big Brother or Australian Idol? Hate them both with a passion

Favourite film/tv show is West Wing but my family and I never miss Spicks and Specks

My favourite book is...  Um, hard one. Probably Ian McEwan’s Atonement but John Irving’s A Widow for one Year is right up there. Fav kids book is Hating Alison Ashley by Robin Klein and Fav YA book is Taronga by Victor Kelleher

The book character I would most like to meet is Adam from Steinbeck’s East of Eden.

The book character I would least like to meet is Jed Parry from Ian McEwan’s novel Enduring Love and the female villain from Holes by Louis Sachar

The worst thing I’ve ever written is a poem I wrote inside a birthday card for my first girlfriend

When I was growing up I wanted to be an international Rugby player and an architect

My heroes are a friend of mine who beat cancer, for his courage, Mother Teresa, for her utter devotion to others and Nelson Mandela, for leadership that brought reconciliation to his country, not retribution