I grew up with that completely fictive idea of motherhood, where the mother never strayed from the kitchen. All the women in my books are very afraid that if they do anything with their minds they won't be complete women. I don't think my daughters' generation has that feeling.

Good writing is always new.

I don't only write about English literature; I also write about chaos theory and... ants. I can understand ants.

Harm can come about without will or action. But will and action can avert harm.

It's because I'm a feminist that I can't stand women limiting other women's imaginations. It really makes me angry.

In my mind's eye Shakespeare is a huge, hot sea-beast, with fire in his veins and ice on his claws and inscrutable eyes, who looks like an inchoate hump under the encrustations of live barnacle-commentaries, limpets and trailing weeds.

I like feeling my way into different minds and experiences. It comes naturally and always has.