E.L. James, Author, 53, married
My father, Alastair, was born in London. But during World War II his parents evacuated him to Scotland, where he was raised in his mother's home town of Kingussie. As a result, he adopted several Scottish mannerisms and used to do very silly accents. He also used to complain when things were too expensive.
My father worked as a cameraman for the BBC, mainly filming outdoor broadcasting and sport, and I remember going to Brands Hatch race track in Kent with him when he was doing Formula One. I have fond memories of going to his workplace in West London. As a child, it was such an exciting place to be. Sadly, it no longer exists.
![As a middle-aged woman, you are invisible.](/web/20170221214504im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/u/8/x/j/f/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gu8rta.png/1486599889287.jpg)
My mother, Alexandra, is from Chile. She's very fiery, but incredibly warm and hospitable. When she was young, she came to London to work as an au pair. She met my father at a party in west London held by her sister. My parents got engaged that night.
My mother did everything for us really, as my father was a bit hands-off. But he used to take my younger brother, Daniel, and me ice-skating, as he was a superb skater. He didn't bother to teach us – we'd put the skates on and off he'd go. But it was fun watching him. He also played ice hockey, which was unusual in the UK. My father died in 2002, and I miss him every day
I grew up in Buckinghamshire, in south-east England, and initially I went to Pipers Corner School. It was girls only – as was my next school, Wycombe High – so boys were unattainable back then. But when I turned 16, I started working part-time as a checkout girl in a supermarket. From that point on, boys became less of a mystery.
I met my first boyfriend, Tony, via my mother. She was working for a clothing manufacturer and he also worked there. I was very young when we started dating. He was a very nice chap, but we split because he had different ideas of where he wanted the relationship to go.
I met my husband, Niall, at the National Film and Television school, where I worked as a studio manager's assistant. I was 21, and had graduated from the University of Kent. Niall was studying screenwriting and directing. He was bright, angry, Irish and very attractive.
Niall has an uber brain. He is far more intellectual than I am, and keeps me on my toes. He's also one of the few men who can have me rolling around the floor laughing, usually at myself. My father was also very bright; intelligence is an attractive quality in a man.
I dedicated my first book, Fifty Shades of Grey, to Niall, as he is the "master of my universe". We have two kids and a wonderful life. We even work together, as he reads my manuscripts, and wrote the screenplay for my new film, Fifty Shades Darker. After 29 years of marriage, you do tend to knock the corners off each other, but we rub along together rather well.
Christian Grey, the billionaire character in my trilogy who has a taste for bondage, is loosely based on three men I've met. They are people in my past I have known and loved. There are parts of myself in there as well.
Christian Grey is not my ideal man. I don't think I could deal with his mood changes; he would be bloody hard work. But I like that he's smart, focused, good in bed and has a sense of humour.
Irish actor Jamie Dornan plays Christian in both Fifty Shades films. He is a devoted family man and has a great sense of humour. Jamie is also very good-looking, very easy on the eye.
I get embarrassed when men read my books, as they are written for women as entertainment. That said, I've had some wonderful emails from men. A 71-year-old guy wrote to thank me for reminding him what it's like to fall in love. Another man thanked me for giving him his wife back. It still shocks me that anyone is interested in my work.
The success of my books has meant I've met famous men, like Mad Men actor Jon Hamm. We met at a party and I enjoyed speaking with him. He's a man who listened when I spoke and who is personally very interesting.
As a middle-aged woman, you are invisible – and most certainly as an overweight one. People just aren't interested in what you have to say, whereas middle-aged men can take the floor. This is the misogyny that women live with.
My sons, who are 20 and 22, have never read my books. But they came to the film première of Fifty Shades of Grey in 2015 and enjoyed it. They take the piss out of me all the time. I have a line of sex toys and my youngest son would say things like, "Mum, could you get the sex toys off the kitchen table as my chemistry tutor is coming this evening?" That sort of thing. I find it quite funny, really.
Fifty Shades Darker is in cinemas now