Lynn Barber, the demon of Fleet Street, talks interviewing; the good, the bad and the bollocks

Barber started her career at Penthouse Magazine, writing about the parameters of sexuality. “It trained me never to be embarrassed and never to show shock or disgust.”

The secret to a good interview, according to Barber, is getting people to talk. “I am genuinely interested in them at the point I am interviewing, I want to understand them”.

But it’s not always plain sailing, the real disasters are never written up and the ones that make the cut are not always perfect.

“If someone else did it better, that’s slightly frustrating, or sometimes every conceivable question has already asked, what more is there to get?”

For Barber, contemporary artists are a favourite but can be difficult to interview. “The reason they are artists is they don’t trust words very much and they express themselves in other ways. To find a way of interviewing that isn't bollocks and has an attachment to reality is a challenge.”