When I was little, a couple of rapes took place in Glasgow. I remember my mum saying to walk in the middle of the pavement, and to this day I am very conscious of where I am.
What is your greatest fear?
Question
What is the worst thing anyone has said to you?
Failure & regret
Question
What would you like to leave your children?
Death & what remains
Question
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Values & belief
Question
Which trait do you most dislike in yourself?
Identity & self
Question
What single thing would improve the quality of your life?
Daily life
Question
Which book are you ashamed not to have read?
Taste & recommendation
Originally asked
Vanity Fair, to its interview subject, The Proust Questionnaire
The exact prompt is fixed in Vanity Fair's Proust Questionnaire and independently sustained in The Guardian's The Q&A over multiple decades.
You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.
Slugs. And planetary annihilation.
The Q&A, The Guardian, 13 April 2024 source ↗
Others on this question
View all 256 →I am spooked by water underground, water in drains and water in machinery. I am very frightened of mill wheels.
Climate change.
Generally? Hurting someone’s feelings. Specifically? Being kidnapped while on vacation.
More from Indira Varma
View profile →Go back to where you came from.
As little rubbish to sort through as possible.
People who abuse their power to subjugate others.
Maxi-multitasking.
Ultimately, a bigger hallway.
This year, I was asked to be a judge for the Women’s prize for fiction and I’ve read 75 books in six months, so I’m parking shame for the time being.
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- What is your idea of perfect happiness? 158 answers
- How would you describe yourself in three words? 111 answers
- What are you most proud of? 103 answers
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- All identity & self questions
- The The Proust Questionnaire questionnaire — 5 questions from the same format
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