I'm glad nobody has asked me to adapt 'Wuthering Heights' because I think I would make a mess of it. Everybody makes a mess of it. I think the Bronte Sisters are mad.

The older I get, the more fun it is to write young people. It's just a holiday from what is becoming old age, really.

Rebecca Eaton has made an enormous contribution to the cultural life of America, and, more than that, she is one of the most fun people I know.

I had a mother who was very emotionally demanding, wanting to be the centre of attention. As they say in EastEnders, she thought it was all about 'er. I spent a lot of time trying to work out what was going on.

Taking the humour out of Dickens, it's not Dickens any more.

Look at Jane Austen. Her characters derive in a reasonably straight line from fairy tales.

I'm absolutely delighted if people think of me as a reliable purveyor of quality period stuff.