Actually, I must say I’ve grown extraordinarily fond of Jihadi Colin, whom I initially meant as a throwaway character good for a gag or two. He’s also managed the leap to fiction, as I’ve written a novella featuring him and Rose. He’s one of only a tiny handful of characters I’ve created who have achieved virtually independent existence, reducing me to the role of chronicler, not creator.

And that, as any author will tell you, is as it should be.