What most recently made you cry?

When I read about the abuse of Baby P.

Watching Britain's Got Talent.

Singing Abide With Me at the funeral of Bruce Reynolds [ringleader of the Great Train Robbery], March 2013.

When Adèle walked down the road at the end of the film Blue Is The Warmest Colour.

When my mom died, on 18 January this year.

When the Guardian called me a scaremonger for wanting to preserve London’s green belt.

Thirty seconds ago. I cry a lot. I find great solace in it.

England 1 Iceland 2.

When I think of my mother. After my father left, she became an alcoholic and wallowed in resentment.

Watching Gone With The Wind for the 100th time.

Listening to Iris DeMent singing Our Town, because of her voice and the truth of what she is singing about, which is that small towns and communities are dying all over.

Reading aloud the last two pages of a book about Montaigne by Sarah Bakewell. It was about his relationship with his cat, and a letter to a friend whose dog had died. It’s about letting the unexpected happen to you, and how that can really be what life is about.

Yesterday: I went to see the film God’s Own Country.

When I read the story of a blind, bisexual goose called Thomas who had died in New Zealand after a lifetime of love for a swan called Henry. It sounds ridiculous but is entirely true.

When my dad died this year.

Funerals and, annoyingly, athletics medal ceremonies.

I cried after I won the Booker.

When Sean Connery died. He was a big tennis fan – a big Andy fan – and I met him a few times.

At the end of It’s A Sin by Russell T Davies.

When I watched a series called Pose. The hospital scenes took me right back to when we were going through the Aids years. It’s the same with It’s a Sin.