Keith McNally: What period or moment in your life brought you the most joy?

The question

What period or moment in your life brought you the most joy?

Originally asked

The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A

Asked in 52 of the 131 consecutive instalments of The Guardian's The Q&A harvested on 2026-08-29.

You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.

Keith McNally

Recorded said elsewhere, not written here

Cycling around Martha’s Vineyard alone in the summer of 1976.

Vanity Fair, The Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, January 2026 source ↗

Others on this question

View all 577 →

Arlene Phillips

Each time I gave birth.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 16 October 2010 source ↗

Jared Harris

I’m happy whenever I’m with my wife, Allegra.

Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 8 February 2025 source ↗

Philip Glass American composer

There are many moments of happiness for me. I swim in a sea of them. They are related to my family and work.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 29 November 2008 source ↗

Andrea Bocelli

When each of my three children was born.

Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 2 November 2024 source ↗

More from Keith McNally

View profile →

Question What does happiness look like for you when life is going well? Identity & self

Taking an overnight train in Europe.

Recorded The Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, 20 January 2026 source ↗

Question What do you fear most? Identity & self

My children dying before me.

Recorded Vanity Fair, The Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, January 2026 source ↗

Question What trait do you most dislike in other people? Values & belief

Using knowledge as a weapon.

Recorded Vanity Fair, The Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, January 2026 source ↗

Question Which trait in yourself do you like least? Identity & self

Craving the kind of success I pretend to despise.

Recorded Vanity Fair, The Proust Questionnaire, Vanity Fair, January 2026 source ↗

Also answered this

Julien Macdonald, Prue Leith, Gino D'Acampo, Nadiya Hussain, Roland Mouret, Bobbi Brown

Search the directory for somebody in particular.

Explore further

All time & hindsight questions
The The Q&A questionnaire — 25 questions from the same format
Explore the archive — by field, age, era, and subject

Report this answer

Others on this question

More from Keith McNally

More on time & hindsight

Also answered this

Explore further