. . Ferdia MacAnna
Current job: Journalist, producer, author The Last of the Bald Heads.
What schools did you go to? St Fintan's, Sutton, Co Dublin and Coláiste Mhuire, Parnell Square, Dublin.
Best subject? English
Worst subject? Maths
What's the boldest thing you ever did in school? I bombed the bonnet of a teacher's car with a basketball accidentally dropped from a third-storey window (my classmates were tickling me, which I used as an excuse to let go of the thing). He was a very nice teacher and I later apologised.
Who was your favourite teacher and why? An excellent teacher of English named Costello introduced me to the writings of Ambrose Bierce and Dylan Thomas. He also praised my writing, and that effectively warped my brain and led me towards a non-lucrative career. He taught us for only a couple of years in secondary school, but he had an enormous impact on my life. Some day, I'd like to buy him a Ribena.
Who was the object of your first crush? When I was 12 I fell in love with Ingrid Pitt, star of various Hammer Horror Films including The Vampire Lovers. I wrote her a fan letter and she sent me a signed photograph. There was a girl on my road who looked a little like Ingrid and I developed a huge crush on her, but I was too shy to say anything and she never knew. I lost the photo of Ingrid Pitt during my rock'n'roll days, but I have always had a thing for vampirellas.
What was your earliest career ambition? I wanted to write science fiction tales like those by Ray Bradbury.
Were you cool or nerdy at school? I thought I was cool, but I was actually awkward and shy and I tried to make up for my lack of social graces by excelling in mischief.
Did you go to college? Yep. UCD, English and history and Trinity (M Phil in Anglo-Irish Lit).
What song most reminds you of your schooldays? In the Summertime by Mungo Jerry because the summers were what we lived for.
What would you look for when choosing a school for your own children? I am lucky that my three children are in good schools where they are listened to whenever they have something that they need to say.
Were your schooldays the best days of your life? No. The best years of my life are the ones I'm living right now.
