Just A Minute With: Sophie Dahl, model-turned-author

By Belinda Goldsmith

SYDNEY (Reuters Life!) - Sophie Dahl made her name as a plus-size model but has lost the curves and doesn't like talking about what she calls her "puppy fat" -- although not being hung up on food is a topic for her upcoming recipe book.

As a child Dahl, now 30, was the inspiration for the character Sophie in "The BFG" written by her grandfather, Welsh children's author Roald Dahl, who inspired her with his story-telling. She always wanted to be a writer.

In 2003 Dahl published a novella, "The Man with the Dancing Eyes," and last year published her first full-length work of fiction, a semi-autobiographical novel called "Playing with the Grown-ups." Now she's all set to release a recipe book.

Dahl, who lives in London with her partner jazz musician Jamie Cullum, spoke to Reuters about writing -- and food:

Q: Did having writers in your family lead you to write?

A: "Growing up surrounded by people who wrote for a living made it seen like a viable reality. Had I grown up with parents or grandparents in classic 9-5 jobs it would have felt further away. It was always something I wanted to do."

Q: Do you mind people comparing you work to your grandfather's -- or even your mother Tessa Dahl who is a writer?

A: "It is such an easy route to take, comparing me with my grandfather but I couldn't take that sort of comparison or criticism on board. It is really irrelevant as you are talking about totally different mediums. He was a genius, beloved pretty universally, a great children's writer and adult fiction writer. I am just at the beginning of my career."