BEST AUTHOR BEST : MICK HERRON

'' BARELY a page goes by without some new horror,'' he says of '' The Wind in the Willows,'' beloved by kids yet '' actually rife with criminal behavior.'' The latest book in his Slough House series is '' Clown Town.''

.-  Why are the Brits so good at capturing political bureaucratic skulduggery in their novels?

Because political bureaucratic skulduggery is in our bloodstream, like cricket, embarrassment and binge drinking.

.-  What books are on your night stand ?

'' The Predicament,'' by William Boyd; '' Frank: Sonnets,'' by Diane Seuss ; and '' The Eights,'' by Joanna Miller.

.-  How do you organize your books?

Organize books? How would that work?

.-  Are there books or authors from childhood that stick with you?

One I'll never unstick myself from is '' The Wind in the Willows, '' a classic often regarded as a heartwarming tale about talking animals, but which is actually rife with criminal behavior - speed offenses, contempt of court, jailbreak, identity theft, horse rustling, hate speech [ ''onion sauce'' ] coercive deprogramming, child abduction, grooming, home invasion, vigilantism, carol singing.............  Barely a page goes by without some new horror.

And it's also a heartwarming tale about talking animals.

.-  How do you name your characters?

Either a name immediately [ like '' Jackson Lamb '' ], and I never question it, or it takes work - I've written passages in which a character is identified by an X while I wait for something better to arrive.

.-  How do you sign books for your fans?

I often thank them for being readers. Without that small detail, neither they, nor I, nor the book being signed, would be present.

.-  '' Clown Town '' has a great first line. Did you start there, or come to it later?

It came later but it's the first big hurdle. I never start writing at Page 1 - I like to have a fair amount of material to hand first : descriptions, character introductions, passages of dialogue and so on.

Much of that will be discarded, but it helps to know it's there. Writing the opening is when the hard work starts, so having the right first line is crucial.

Rhythm plays an important part. Rhythm bestows memorability. At the same time, you don't want to be rum-ti-tum-ti-tum.

.-  Could there be a Slough House book without a two-word title?

No. I hate to use the word '' branding '' with reference to my Slough House novels, but, you know ............ branding.

The Publishing continues to Part [2]. The World Students Society thanks The New York Times.