The welcoming surroundings of Charleston made it feel as though we had been ushered in to William Nicholson's front room for a chat.

While the Oscar-nominated playwright of Shadowlands, scriptwriter of Hollywood blockbuster Gladiator and author of children's trilogy Wind On Fire talked about his career and new novel to broadcaster and short story writer Francine Stock, it was easy to forget there were hundreds of other people around.

With surprising humility for such a successful writer, the 56-year-old admitted that although The Society Of Others, which came out last month to rave reviews, is his first published adult novel, it is in fact his ninth attempt.

As he talked about his "long, long struggle" to get an adult novel published, we were treated to fascinating insights into the world of Hollywood and into the mind of a man who refused to give up.

It was one of the most interesting events I have seen in the Festival.