Sebastian Faulks, highly successful author of Birdsong, On Green Dolphin Street, The Girl at the Lion D’Or and A Possible Life, among many others. He is photographed with his whippet Hector.

“Hector is a seven-year-old blue whippet from Yorkshire – where else?
“He is on the large size for the breed, robust and not a shiverer. He doesn’t mind the cold and wet too much.
“He likes chasing squirrels in the park. In Sussex, he once rounded up half a dozen sheep and drove them into a river. As a two and three year old he had an astonishing turn of speed. He is a bit of a show-off, but very well mannered. He always offers a present to whoever is about to feed him – either a stray sock or a soft toy.
“He makes soft growling noises of appreciation and affection, which are sometimes oddly close to speech.
“You could say that we are very fond of him.”