Novels arise out of the shortcomings of History.

I did a lot of my writing as though I was an academic, doing some piece of research as perfectly as possible.

Never stop paying attention to things. Never make your mind up finally. Do not hold beliefs.

I think vestigially there's a synesthete in me but not like a real one who immediately knows what colour Wednesday is.

Narration is as much a part of human nature as breath and the circulation of the blood.

She didn't like to be talked about. Equally, she didn't like not to be talked about, when the high-minded chatter rushed on as though she was not there. There was no pleasing her, in fact. She had the grace, even at eleven, to know there was no pleasing her. She thought a lot, analytically, about other people's feelings, and had only just begun to realize that this was not usual, and not reciprocated.

Good writing is always new.