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

The most moving scene for me in 'Pride and Prejudice' is the Pemberley music room scene: Elizabeth has just saved Darcy's sister from embarrassment and confusion, and as the music plays on, Darcy's look of gratitude becomes a look of love, which we see reciprocated in Elizabeth's eyes.

I got quite cross when I heard about Emma Thompson adapting 'Sense and Sensibility.' It was absolutely childish of me, but I thought, 'I should be doing that. They didn't even ask me.' Some mistake, surely.

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.

One of the things I've always thought is a drag in so many period adaptations is that they are always buttoned up to the neck in so many clothes all the time. I'm always looking for excuses to get them out of their clothes.

I always do like to write love stories, even if they end tragically.

I adore doing classic adaptations, but I also feel their frustrations and their limitations.