The question
What period or moment in your life brought you the most joy?Originally asked
The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A
Asked in 52 of the 131 consecutive instalments of The Guardian's The Q&A harvested on 2026-08-29.
You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.
I’m pretty happy right now, although the plague is a problem. I got the virus early, and was unwell for two and a half weeks. I was spared the worst symptoms; I realise more strongly every day that I’m one of the very lucky ones.
The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 18 July 2020 source ↗
I’m always happy. Ask Simon Cowell: he says if I had a tail, I’d wag it.
1 May 1981 in Paris, because that’s the day I was reconverted to Catholicism.
August 16, 1985. My dad took me and my brothers Andre and Tony to see the Fresh Fest at the Nassau Coliseum, on Long Island. We saw Whodini, the Fat Boys, and Grandmaster Flash. Greatest day of my life. The births of my children were big days, too, but billions of people have children—only 15,000 people saw that show.
Watching Bruce Springsteen at Glastonbury. During Because The Night I actually shouted, "This is the greatest moment of my life!"
A writer, I’m sorry to say. Boring, I know, but true.
Watching Sooni Taraporevala’s film Yeh Ballet on Netflix. It took me back to Bombay – a surprisingly powerful burst of nostalgic emotion.
Nineteen books. Twenty next year…
EL James, June Brown, Julian Clary, Julia Donaldson, Shirley Hughes, Anne Enright
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