Andrew O’Hagan: ‘If you are honest, you never stop being who you were’

In his writing over the years, O’Hagan has painted an affectionate portrait of himself as a young man. He was the boy who stowed books in a bread tin under his bed, hidden from the sneers of his dad, a violent alcoholic; the kid with more interest in “history and flowers” than Celtic FC. Having three older brothers helped him survive. “I mean I was openly expressing interest in Virginia Woolf at school – that was basically asking to be battered. But they were quite tough my brothers, so kids left me alone.”

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