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Questions that Yann Martel has never been asked

Marie-Louise Muir | 20:46 UK time, Sunday, 30 May 2010

In yesterday's , authors at this year's Hay-on-Wye festival were asked to come up with questions that journalists never ask them.

They are great questions likeÌý"Have you ever been in trouble with the police? (Ian Rankin) "Who do you think you are?" (John Banville) and "Are you fun toÌýgo on holiday with?"ÌýAndrew O'Hagan.

Roddy Doyle's is my favourite, including "Does your wife love you?" and "the internet says you have 2 children, but you claim to have 3".

It made me smile as I'm interviewing Yann Martel on stage in Belfast's Black Box this Friday at 5 for the . I'm juggling reading his with latest and the series of books, 40 years old this year, (for a ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Radio Ulster doc I'm fronting in July-ÌýyesÌýthe 12th of!).

SoÌýI'm going to intersperse the interview withÌýquestions hopefully he has never been asked before. Maybe, haveÌýyou ever beenÌýon a life raft with a tiger?ÌýHave you ever had a restraining order from Stephen Harper? (Martel has been sending books toÌýthe CanadianÌýPM to read every two weeks since 2007) And marmite or marmalade on your toast in the morning?

You know what, maybe best to let him choose. Avoid awkwardness and possible libel action! Ìý

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