Lionel Shriver is the author of 16 novels, including the international bestseller We Need To Talk About Kevin (2003).
It was made into a film of the same name for which Tilda Swinton was nominated for a Best Actress Bafta Award and a Best Actress Golden Globe Award in 2011. Her books have been translated into 28 languages.
Now 66, she lives outside Lisbon with her husband, jazz musician Jeff Williams.
What did your parents teach you about money?
Not to spend it! They were very frugal. In the latter part of my life, what has been difficult for me is learning to spend money. The problem with the saving mentality is that it is fundamentally based on a misconception of immortality, especially as I don't have any children and at a certain point, you have to realise that it's merely a means to an end. When you're a saver, that's hard to understand.
