AUTHOR Fay Weldon was in Hampstead to give a talk about her life and work. The novelist came to the Freud Museum in Maresfield Gardens last Wednesday evening and spoke on topics ranging from childhood and early sexual experiences to her early career in ad

AUTHOR Fay Weldon was in Hampstead to give a talk about her life and work.

The novelist came to the Freud Museum in Maresfield Gardens last Wednesday evening and spoke on topics ranging from childhood and early sexual experiences to her early career in advertising and a recent conversion to the Anglican church.

The talk was the latest in a series at the museum entitled The Creative Journey, which has already featured Miranda Seymour, Timberlake Wertenbaker and Jonathan Miller.

Writer Michael Arditti, currently the Leverhulme writer in residence at the museum, has arranged the series of talks so the public can hear about the creative lives of major literary figures.

"So far we have had four inspirational speakers talking about their lives, and the audiences have been completely packed out each time," said Mr Arditti, who lives in Primrose Hill.

"For the Jonathan Miller talk in June, we had to move down the road to South Hampstead High School because so many people turned up.

"So the series has been very successful, and there are more talks planned for the autumn."

Each event sees Mr Arditti interviewing his guest speaker, before they give readings from their own work and take questions from the floor. Workshops have also been run this summer for local schools to explore creative writing.

The impetus for the programme has been the 100th anniversary of groundbreaking lectures by Sigmund Freud - who lived in the Maresfield Garden house after escaping the Nazis in 1938.

"The talk with Fay Weldon went very well last week," he said.

"After I interviewed her, she read from autobiography Auto da Fay which features vivid paragraphs illustrating her life. She also has some sharp portraits of psychotherapists in her novels, which were very relevant to the discussion."

Ms Weldon spoke about other writers in her family and the notion of inherited talents, her life in advertising and journalism as a younger woman, how her mother thought she was a lesbian until she discovered men "with great joy" at the age of 18, and her renewed belief in God and angels.

Upcoming writers joining The Creative Journey series are Amanda Craig on September 18 and Deborah Moggach on October 23.

"These experiences certainly enrich one's emotional life, and should help develop creativity," added Mr Arditti.

Advance booking is recommended. Call the Freud Museum on 020-7435 2002.