'I'M JUST NOT GOING TO STOP'

Bestselling author Ken Follett invites us into his home – and his 15th-century party barn – to chat about his lifelong love of storytelling, his famous bandmate and why family comes first

- 

Ken Follett is one of the world's best-known and best-loved authors of historical fiction, having sold more than 198 million copies of his books in more than 80 countries. His stories have been adapted for film, TV and even a hit musical in Spain. So it is fitting that this giant of the literary world has created his family home inside a property that features a barn dating back to the 15th century.

The Hertfordshire house also contains "his and hers" libraries for Ken, 76, and Barbara, his wife of nearly 40 years, as well as a purpose-built party room where Ken, an enthusiastic amateur bass guitar player, regularly plays with his blues and rock band.

No wonder that he and Barbara, a former MP for Stevenage, have no plans to leave their beautiful 11-bedroom home any time soon. Speaking to HELLO! during an exclusive photoshoot at the impressive 11-acre property, he says proudly: "We have spent a quarter of a century getting this house just how we like it, so we are going to stay here as long as it's possible."

Ken and Barbara have been living in the house for 27 years. After moving in, they reconfigured it to suit themselves, knocking rooms together to create bigger spaces, including a large kitchen and a huge dining room that can fit more than 20 people for celebrations such as Christmas Day.

They also set to work on converting the barn, which dates from 1498 and is the only part of the property that has been listed.

LIFE OF THE PARTY