Live webchat with Sandi Toksvig - Friday 2 Nov 1-2pm

Sorry I had to go. It was fun. I typed as fast as I could. Bye

The person concerned has now passed away and I decided to accord him more respect than he ever showed me. The point was not to talk about one individual but to highlight a culture which at the time was thought to be acceptable. I am sure there are many many women who had similar experiences in many walks of life. It certainly was not confined to broadcasting

distaffgran

Welcome, Sandi. Why did you decide not to name the person who groped you in the 1980s? Don't you think it would deter other men if they thought they might be named and shamed?

I did a forty date tour round the country talking about why I like to write and what inspires me. The novel is about a woman who disguises herself as a man and goes off to serve in the second Anglo-Boer War in 1899. It is quite a serious adventure story and wouldn't really make good standup but the process of writing and how a writer gets to the finished product has a lot of scope for laughs. In a way the show allowed me to also do what I love best - educating by stealth. I shall be back on the road with it next autumn I think. Do come. I get the entire audience to play games and to conduct Beethoven's 9th

solidair

What's the link between My Valentine, your show and Valentine Grey, your novel? (Hope I've got that the right way round...) Sounds like you might have turned a novel into a standup show??

I get asked this a lot and I'm afraid my answer is the predictable one for a proud mum - my kids. Now that they are off on their own paths in life I don't see them as much as I would like. I have met almost every famous person in this country and in many others and I can't think of anyone's company that could beat my childrens

nanaej

Hej Sandi,

You are a real polymath with success in writing books & plays, broadcasting, performing live shows and acting etc etc. You are an ace communicator!

You feature on my list of '6 people you have never met but would like to invite to a dinner party'! Who would feature on your list?

I have enjoyed so many of your writings and broadcasts so thank you, tak!

Gosh I can't say I have been patronised about being Danish. I think the important thing for everyone to remember is that there is something of merit in every nation. All countries have something delicious to eat, something beautiful to see and nice people to get to know. Personally I am a big fan of belonging to Europe. The negative aspects are often highlighted in the press such as cost but a united Europe has kept peace among many nations for long enough for it to begin to look like a very good idea indeed

nainnainnain

Hej, Sandi.
I know you can give as good as you get (or better!) but I sometimes wonder if you get fed-up with the condescending attitude of many English people towards other nations, and towards Denmark in particular?

PS Sounds as if I'm going to have to read Good Housekeeping!

I love Bessie Colman, the first African-American to gain a pilot's licence. She is an inspirational woman. Born to a very poor family in Texas, in the end she became so famous that 10,000 people attended her funeral. Check her out. She is fantastic

GracieGran

Welcome Sandi!

Your books are so entertaining – I actually went out to buy a replacement copy of Flying Under Bridges when I realized I’d mistakenly put it in the Oxfam box. And that’s after having read it twice. This new one sounds very interesting indeed. You must have a favourite heroine/harridan? Care to share?

While I was at Cambridge I was too busy working and having fun to notice that those around me were so hilarious. I have a production company with Stephen Fry who I met at University so I guess you could say we are still in touch. I also work with Pip Broughton who I met at the time. I don't know if it played a part in my success. My first job was in children's TV and I got it by answering an ad in The Stage newspaper - nothing to do with Cambridge

sneetch

You were at Cambridge with a lot of very funny people. Are you all still friends? And did that play a part in your success?

In order to be a comedian you need to be quite assertive. Playing comedy clubs involves late nights and drunken people. Perhaps a few lesbians are just a little more assertive

oldflame

It's not at all uncommon for female comedians to be lesbians. Are lesbians just funnier?

Certainly there has been discrimination here and there (see my answer about HIGNFY) but I try not to let that get me down. Best just to keep going. Women are still discriminated against. After more than forty years of the Equal Pay Act being in force on the whole women are still paid 30% less than men. If you really want a shocking statistic - according to the UN women of the world do 66% of the world's work but own just 1% of the assets. yes, 1%. I didn't mistype it

minette

You have such a successful career - I wondered if you had ever experienced discrimination for your age (or indeed sex/sexuality)

None of the banter is rehearsed. I have the questions and have a team who help prepare the answers as we need to be accurate. The rest is just the tosh that occurs on the night. We recorded this weeks show last night and it is being edited as I type. I have nothing to do with that so the final version is always a surprise to me too

Greatnan

I would love to know how much of the banter on my favourite radio programme (The News Quiz) is rehearsed.

Gosh I don't know if I said I had a favourite but I always recommend Rosalind Miles' book on the history of women - Who Cooked the Last Supper which I just mentioned to someone else. Hope you enjoyed the show

penny2

Saw you in Chester Town Hall this week. Can you please remind me of the title and author of your of favourite book.

Hello there and well done for growing up as well considering our rather restricted back ground. I can't say that I was all that keen on boarding school as I missed my family so much but I do remember that we laughed a lot. Thank you for that

NonnaLi

Sandi was at boarding school with me (in the same dorm) and was exactly the same then - always had us in hysterics with her stories just want to say hello and congratulations on everything and look forward to reading her latest book.

You are very kind. I think I have been writing for Good Housekeeping for about twenty years now. Long enough to have forgotten how long it is. I love writing the column and try to make it a combination of silly nonsense with a dab of sense. I will pass on your compliment to the editor

wisewoman

No questions but just want to say I LOVE your column in Good Housekeeping. It is so wise and always always makes me smile. Thank you

Hello there
I have never been in the same category as James Martin so I am delighted. Thanks for the offer of joining a thread. I am a keen embroiderer so I like the needle association

whenim64

You are going up and up in my estimation GNHQ! James Martin and now Sandi Toksvig! Can you give her a username and get her to join? I would love to chat with her on a few of our threads

Mostly I hope that my kids give me a breather first. They have only just grown up and need to spread their wings first. I love babies so of course, I should like to be Gran one day and then Gransnet look out!

rosiemus

Hello Sandy - I know you are a mum. Do you hope to be a gran one day and if so will you join us on Gransnet?

It is often the case that women have been overlooked or forgotten in history and it seems a shame. Not just for women but for men too. We are missing out on some inspirational stories. There is a great book called Who Cooked the Last Supper by Rosalind Miles about women's history. Just the question alone makes you think about the women who made great events happen but whose names have been lost in time

cleopatra

I'd love to know more about your views on history and male bias. The book sounds very interesting

Hello Bags
I'll try and think of something too

Bags

Oh good! I'll look forward to this. Will try to think of a question too. But hello Sandi in the meantime.