THE AUTHOR J. J. Connolly, 45, grew up on a postwar North London estate where all the walls were 4ft thick as a precaution against the imminent threat of a nuclear attack. He previously worked as a street sweeper, actor, flower-seller and on the London Underground tracks before writing the screenplay for the film Mean Machine. He has also adapted his debut novel, Layer Cake, for the eponymous film directed by Matthew Vaughn which is released this October, stars Daniel Craig, Michael Gambon and Sienna Miller and upholds the reputation of the gritty crime genre laid down by Mike “Get Carter” Hodges. Connolly lives and writes in London.
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What’s in your wash-bag?
Kiehl’s grapefruit shower gel, Czech & Speake cologne, Paul Mitchell’s foaming pomade, Clinique shaving gel and Trumper’s coconut shaving cream. I love those grooming shops for men on Jermyn Street.
Name your desert-island essentials?
My laptop, exercise bike and Lancaster sun cream.
Do you have a beauty secret?
Boring but true; don’t drink, don’t smoke, drink plenty of water and eat well.
What do you wear on a fat day? An adidas tracksuit.
How would friends describe your style?
With envy.
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What’s the most treasured item in your wardrobe and why?
A pair of Prada loafers; they fit well and make my feet look bigger than they are.
What do you never leave home without?
A Moleskine notebook and sharp pencil.
Hot date: what do you wear?
A pair of 501s, T-shirt and a corduroy jacket.
And when you’re home alone?
Gap shorts and T-shirts and adidas trainers.
What do you wear to bed?
Nothing.
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You’re the fashion police; what do you ban?
Nike trainers with bouncy soles. They look fine on kids but not on adults.
Has your outfit ever embarrassed you?
No, never.
How old is too old for a micro-mini?
18.
If you could live in a period of time for its fashion, when would you choose and why?
The early Sixties because it was a stylish and open-minded era with some pretty slick fashion and the working class wearing made-to-measure suits.
What is your most recent purchase?
An iPod for my girlfriend.
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What quality do you most admire in a person?
Integrity and consistency.
Can you judge a book by its cover?
If it’s a good cover, it reflects the book.
What is your greatest extravagance?
Holidays.
What are your guilty pleasures?
John Smedley cashmere and Green & Black’s white chocolate.
And your dirty habits?
Leaving tea bags all over the house.
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Name a cheap thrill?
Riding my push-bike around Regent’s Canal.
What’s the best advice that you’ve ever been given?
Keep an open mind.
Your favourite smell?
It’s a toss-up between the air after heavy rain and incense sticks.
Describe your best holiday?
On the West coast of Barbados eating very well and swimming in the sea.
What are you most and least proud of?
Most proud of my writing and least proud of my envious streak at other people’s success.
Who or what would you like to come back as in your next life?
A woman or Kurt Vonnegut.
What would you eat for your last supper and who, dead or alive, would you most like to share it with?
I’d share steak and chips with Bob Dylan.
Yes or no to a nip’n’tuck?
Ask me in 20 years’ time.
What part of your body would you change?
Bigger feet, but not yet as I’ve just bought some new shoes.
What would you like to achieve before you die?
Respect as an author.
How good-looking are you on a scale of 1-10?
8
Layer Cake is published by Duckworth on September 9