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Alan Bennett’s The History Boys is his best-received piece of work since the 60s. As tickets go on sale for its Hull dates later this year, David Clensy talks to the much-loved playwright For me, the idea of being in a theatre with Alan Bennett was on a par with marlin fishing with Ernest Hemingway,…

There can’t be many jobs further removed from poetry than working as a probation officer on the tough streets of Manchester’s roughest areas, so Simon Armitage has to be something of an inspiration to would-be writers everywhere. During his seven years working with troubled and sometimes aggressive youngsters in places like Moss Side can’t have…

Of course, there are many days, like today, when I don’t have anybody’s name scribbled down in my diary to interview. I figured it might be interesting if I took the opportunity of these lulls to look back at interesting earlier encounters. In November 2004 I picked up the phone and called Dr Mo Mowlam,…

Interviewing Bob Geldof is a rare honour, but a famous challenge for any journalist. There are support websites set up by battle-weary hacks to offer guidance on the art of surviving a conversation with the Irish rock star-cum-charity icon. There are probably underground therapy groups to aid recovery for those who have been through the…