It is not often that a modern author is compared to Jane Austen - and even less often that she comes to Folkestone.

Joanna Trollope OBE will be appearing at the town’s literary festival on Saturday, talking about her new book Friday Nights and avoiding mention of traditional country cookers.

Despite the success of her novels and considerable critical admiration, including the comparisons with Miss Austen, it was the epithet “Aga Saga” that used to haunt mention of her name.

She told us: “I’ve written 14 or 15 modern books and I suspect a couple of them featured an Aga.

“When I hit the big time there was a piece by Terence Blacker in the Bookseller that coined the term, probably because it sounded good. I’m bored with it to be honest, it patronises my readers rather than me.

“This country is quite uneasy about female success, people don’t write about women writers’ success in the same way.

“Ian McEwan is very popular but it is JK Rowling who gets the brickbats. The Parthenon is popular and so is Mozart but they don’t lack calibre.”

She actually began writing while still a teacher, writing historical novels – “my apprenticeship”. Those are still available under the name Caroline Harvey. Her modern novels have moved on in scope, touching on subjects from divorce to incest.

“You get more realistic but that is not necessarily pessimism. I would never leave a book without hope, but I would never write a happy ending.

“If you wrap an ending up neatly in ribbons it will eventually unravel. Look at Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet’s married life shut up in a great chilly house in Derbyshire.”

It was the research for Friday Nights that led to Trollope becoming a Chelsea fan, even becoming an admirer of striker Didier Drogba – who she reveals is a trained accountant as well as being good in the air.

“I was bowled over by football, it offers something that is rare in life, the chance to be violently partisan. Chelsea have been wonderful to me.”

So much for Agas in her books, but is there one in her kitchen?

“I have had one or two. They are awkward but they are made for country living, reviving sick lambs and that sort of thing, not towns. They’re too ponderous.”

And if there is one thing you do not associate with Joanna Trollope, it is ponderousness.

uE06E Folkestone Literary Festival programmes are available across the town, call 01303 842192 for tickets. Joanna Trollope will be at the Folkestone Academy at 1pm.