I had a very high opinion of my father's judgement of things and he said, "You better get a job that pays the bills because a writer doesn't make any money. If possible, get a job that allows you to write in your spare time."

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 suppose I have the tastes of someone who teaches at a university in the provinces.

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

Novels often have leisurely openings; a TV drama needs an arresting opening.

The BBC fulfils a wonderful cultural function. Maybe the problem is that it feels it needs to be everything to everybody.

My wife likes history and documentaries, but I'm not so keen on them. I generally go and do some work if there's one of those on.