Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha

Roddy Doyle is the author of 13 acclaimed novels as well as books for children, plays, and screenplays.

He won the Booker Prize in 1993 for Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha, and he is one of Ireland's most celebrated contemporary writers.

Last year, he was the head judge for the Booker Prize and, as we recorded our conversation the day after this year's shortlist was announced, I wanted to ask a bit about the judging process.

We'll get to that shortly, but I began by asking Roddy how his involvement in A Ghostly Little Book came about.

I want to keep reading.

That type of thing, you know? So, um, if you didn't do it that way, you'd be falling behind, and it's very, very difficult then to catch up.

You won the Booker Prize yourself, as I mentioned, in 1993 for Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha.

Did spending a year on the other side of the process change the way you look back on your own win?