You may link to this interview, but do not reproduce it without permission. Half of it was conducted directly by Mesmerised staff, and the rest personally recorded from a group question-and-answer session. They've been reordered to flow better.

Is the next book going to be called The Last Colony or The Lost Colony?
Definitely The Lost Colony. Last Colony was only ever a typo.

Is the next Artemis book being released in September?
Yes, it is.

Do you believe in the characters you make?
I think about them, dream about them and so on. It's a bit like watching a movie - you suspend your disbelief.

Do you think of ideas in weird places?
Sometimes I will think of something while I'm asleep, wake up, write it down and have to decipher it in the morning: "Peter under the bridge at 2am surrounded by muffins..."

What will the Artemis graphic novel be about?
It's going to be the first book in graphic novel form. If that does well, we'll see about the others.

Which character is most like you?
I think I am most like Will from Spud Murphy.

Where did you get the idea for Butler?
A 7ft tall well-built bodyguard... In the movies I shall be playing him myself. No, I used to be bullied when I was young. I imagined a big man coming to pick up the kid and throw him over the fence.

What gave you the idea for Artemis to meet the fairies?
Well, I looked at the bestseller list and noticed there were a lot of fantasy books... No, no, I wanted to use Irish legends. The oldest legend is a boy who tries to steal fairy gold.

Who's directing the movie? Is it Lawrence Guterman?
I can't say who it is, but it's not Lawrence Guterman.

When are they going to start casting?
At the moment we're still working on the script.

Will there be another another Artemis Fowl book?
Yes - I've already spent the advance. It'll be called Artemis Fowl and the Philosopher's Goblet of Azkaban. No, the Lost Colony... or the Lost Colonic!

Are you going to bring in a friend for Artemis?
Yes, in The Lost Colony, I'm bringing in a girl who's intelligent. It's not going to be smoochy, but kind of, "haha, go on". Not big. They get very friendly... until she shoots him! Boys can get funny about this. "I know she shot me but she still loves me!"

Is it true that Artemis could be getting a younger sibling?
Possibly. That's all I can say!

Do you have any news for us on #6?
Not yet!