Jodi Picoult: Warm welcome as leading US writer heads for Harrogate

The 43-year-old author, who lives in New Hampshire in America, has written 17 novels and five issues of the Wonder Woman comic book series for DC Comics.

Her books are translated into 34 languages in 35 countries. Three – The Pact, Plain Truth, and The Tenth Circle, have been made into television movies.

My Sister's Keeper was a big-screen released by New Line Cinema, with Nick Cassavetes directing and Cameron Diaz starring.

Are you looking forward to coming back to the UK?

Of course – it is one of my favourite places on earth.

Your new book went straight to number one in America – is that because it is all about a hot topic?

I like to think that the issues raised in my books are all hot topics – just wait until the 2011 book next year. But seriously, autism (and in this case, Asperger's Syndrome) is becoming more common here – as I think it is in the UK, too – and it is good to talk about the condition.

Do you have any theories about what causes it?

I have talked to many people about this and I don't think there is one root cause – more like a great many contributing factors. Autism has such a huge range, with differing behaviours on each level. It's like each case is different, and each person who has it needs different consideration.

The main character in the book is obsessed with CSI – or crime scene investigation – is that it?

Oh yes, in a big way. He is a teenager called Jacob, who has Asperger's and is a very smart kid. He is always turning up at crime scenes and offering his help and opinion to the cops. He drives them nuts. Then his social skills tutor is murdered and he turns out to be their principal suspect.

Is this another of your courtroom dramas, then?

Plenty of my books don't feature the courtroom. But this one does, yes. You see all of life – and death – in a courtroom and it is a great place to play out a drama.

Are attitudes to autism the same in the US as over here?

I don't know about treatment of people with autism in the UK; I'm more familiar with how it is regarded in America.

With our health care system it's currently more expensive to get early intervention, which is the one thing that seems proven effective in alleviating autistic symptomology. Also, there are more studies being done to research causal links to autism.

Barack Obama seems to be helping with your health care systems.

He sure is …

Were you happy with the film of My Sister's Keeper?

The acting was brilliant, and I thought that the director, who is a very talented man, created a lovely film about dying with dignity.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the message of my book. He had promised me

he'd keep the ending and ended up breaking that promise.

On the bright side, I've heard from hundreds of people who re-read the book and decided it was much better than the movie.

When are you in Harrogate?

I'm there on Thursday, and all the details are on my website and also on jodipicoult.co.uk. I'm really looking forward to seeing you all again as British audiences are really great and very responsive to

my books.

House Rules by Jodi Picoult is published on April 27 at 16.99 in hardcover.

She is appearing at Harrogate Theatre on Apr 29 at 7pm. Tickets are 12 and include a copy of the book, and can be booked on 0844 249 0467.