Jane Goldman

I've always been drawn to spooky things, to the unusual, to things that are dark but in a friendly way.

Establish character - otherwise, it is difficult to connect with what is frightening.

You need to be invested in what happens. The characters are your conduit to the story. Many modern horror films are fun but not frightening because one has not connected with the characters.

Another thing that freaks me out is time. Time is like a book. You have a beginning, a middle and an end. It's just a cycle.

Most detective story readers are an educated audience and know there are only a certain number of plots. The interest lies in what the writer does with them.

But we need to show that the EU can modernise itself, can adapt to the needs of its citizens, can take their views into account. That will be our ambition for the UK Presidency.