Room 536

A. L. Kennedy was born in the north-east of Scotland. She has written four collections of short fiction and three novels (all published by Jonathan Cape), along with two books of non-fiction and a variety of journalism, including a column for The Guardian. She has won several prizes. She also writes for the stage, radio, film and TV. She has sold brushes door-to-door and now lectures part-time in the creative writing programme at St Andrew's University School of English. In 1993 she was listed among Granta's Best of Young British Novelists. She is now ten years older. 'Room 536' is an extract from Paradise (Vintage 2004).