EIGHTY IS THE NEW FIFTY!

EXCLUSIVE: LYNDA LA PLANTE

- Jane Oddy

TOUR DE FORCE Lynda la Plante turned 80 on Wednesday and while she admits that the landmark birthday was not particularly welcome, the legendary writer embraced it. “I’ve reached 80 but I feel more like 50,” she says. “All my friends are around my age and we’re going strong.”

The bestselling crime author of no fewer than 40 novels – as well as the hit TV series Prime Suspect starring Dame Helen Mirren, says, “I can’t say I was looking forward to it. No. I was a bit shocked really as it kind of creeps up on you!

“But there’s this slew of incredibly old actresses treading the boards these days, wonderful Glenda Jackson doing King Lear at 86. My actress friend Ann Mitchell from Widows never stops working and was brilliant in the BBC series The Gold and she’s 83. And it’s like, we’re the new 50s. I’m having the time of my life.”

At a glitzy publishing industry party thrown for her last week it was announced that Lynda’s memoir will be published next year promising to “amuse, awe and inspire”. But her birthday celebrations were more low-key.

She smiles, “My son Lorcan took me out for a surprise dinner because either side of my birthday, I have parties and events being held for me so I needed a breather from it all as the partying never ends!”

Looking slightly horrified at the suggestion of retirement, she says, “I don’t know what I’d do with myself. I’ll keep writing until I drop off this Earth as long as the readers still want me. Because I’m still learning new things all the time. I love it, it’s very exciting, it occupies my brain.”

She adds, “I think mental health is absolutely connected to my work. Writing keeps you very mentally alert.”