Tom Burke: What thought won't let you sleep? — FLAPSS

The question

What thought won't let you sleep?

Originally asked

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

A long-running fixed question in The Guardian's weekly Q&A questionnaire.

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TB

Tom Burke

Recorded said elsewhere, not written here

It’s usually a slight feeling that, having got through the day, I didn’t get any time to do any writing or something creative – it was a lot of admin, exhaustion from that and rumination.

The Q&A, The Guardian, 23 May 2026 source ↗

Others on this question

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Corinne Bailey Rae

All the big ones – climate change, safety for our children, money.

Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 23 September 2023 source ↗

Madhur Jaffrey Actress, cook, and TV host

Unfinished work and caffeine.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 27 February 2021 source ↗

Peter Sarsgaard

The Middle East crisis.

Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 24 February 2024 source ↗

Griff Rhys Jones British actor and comedian

The next morning. It rarely turns out as bad as I think it’s going to be.

Recorded The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 30 December 2017 source ↗

More from Tom Burke

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Question What do you fear most? Identity & self

To be stuck in the past.

Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 23 May 2026 source ↗

Question What is the worst job you have ever had? Craft & work

A movie. Does it have a name? It might do.

Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 23 May 2026 source ↗

Question How would you sum yourself up in three words? Identity & self

Steady, reaching, bewildered.

Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 23 May 2026 source ↗

Question How close have you come to dying? Death & what remains

A running accident when I was 14 or 15. I fainted but I was a bit of a jester and they thought I was taking the piss, so I was left for a bit. I woke up in hospital.

Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 23 May 2026 source ↗

Question How would you want people to remember you? Death & what remains

I’ve not always been great friend material. I’ve tried to get better at that, so to be remembered as reliable by a few would be great.

Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 23 May 2026 source ↗

Question When were you most embarrassed? Failure & regret

Putting chocolate mousse in my agent’s face. Somebody had done it to me – that thing where they go, “Smell this, it smells funny”, and then they put it in your nose. A year later I was in this French restaurant with a very 1980s-style dessert trolley and, before I knew it, I had a bowl of chocolate mousse in front of me. And my agent went, “What’s that smell?”, and it felt impossible not to … I immediately felt awful and tried to apologise. He, of course, said that he found it funny. But I knew he didn’t.

Recorded The Q&A, The Guardian, 23 May 2026 source ↗

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