5 minutes with new author Fiona Leonard

Leonard's debut novel, 'The Chicken Thief', is about Alois, a chicken thief finding his way in a Southern African country wracked by political unrest and a crumbling economy.

Why do you write?

Because I have to. It feeds my soul.

What's the first book you read that made you think differently?

'If On A Winter's Night A Traveller' by Italo Calvino. It made me realise books didn't have to follow standard literary arcs.

Who are your literary heroes?

Michael Ondaatje, Juliet Marillier, and JK Rowling - because anyone who can inspire kids to read 700-page books is a heroine.

What books are on your bedside table?

'In Arabian Nights' by Tahir Shah and 'Winter's Tale' by Mark Helprin.