Christmas Q&A - Lorraine Murphy

What are your favourite Christmas film and song?

Elf is not only my favourite Christmas movie but my favourite movie ever. My favourite song is Last Christmas, which I can perform in Irish Sign Language after a few Baileys.

Who cooks Christmas dinner in your house? What’s your favourite part?

Being an oddball who doesn’t like turkey or ham, dinner is a joint effort between the adults in the family but mostly it’s the man himself who cooks on Christmas day. Santa. My favourite part is not having to eat the turkey and ham.

Do you have any family Christmas traditions?

We watch Elf together and most years go to the panto in Mullingar Arts Centre. We usually spend Christmas Day with just ourselves and Stephen’s Day with extended family.

What’s your best Christmas memory?

It is this year when our eldest came home from studying abroad in Singapore. She was away since August and it’s nice for her to travel, but nicer to have her home with us.

How do you spend Christmas afternoon?

Doing a family triathlon or watching TV in front of the fire. We’ll decide on the morning. Probably the second one.

Are you an organised shopper or a Christmas Eve one?

Neither – a stress shopper – constantly thinking of all the things I’ve to do and not doing half of them.

• Author Lorraine Murphy released her first book, the physiological thriller, Into The Wood, this year. Her second novel is due to come out around Easter. Almost finished, it is another thriller, this time about unexpected DNA results.