To be able to have the space to sit down and write has always been my central policy.

Nothing had happened yet in my life except the need to get out of it.

Sometimes I will spend two or three days not speaking to anyone outside of the immediate family when they come home, and then I find that I've been emailing like fury. Once you give in to that silence, it's quite nice.

I write anywhere - when I have an idea it’s hard not to write. I used to be kind of precious about where I wrote. Everything had to be quiet and I couldn’t be disturbed, it really filled my day.

Cats, I always think, only jump into your lap to check if you are cold enough, yet, to eat.

I am interested in silences

I can't think of anything you might say about Irish people that is absolutely true.