John McGovern taught me that it's OK to write repeatedly about the same things.

John McGovern taught me that it's OK to write repeatedly about the same things.

I was first in Sydney in 1993, and have been a few times since then. For someone who didn't know Australia, it came as a shock how intelligent, interesting and funny the people were. If I lived there I might see it differently, but as a visitor it was a lot of fun.

All writing is a form of manipulation, of course, but you realize that a plain sentence can actually do so much.

Three of my novels and a good number of my short stories are told from the point of view of men. I was brought up in a house of women.

I did think of becoming a priest quite late on, when other boys were thinking of knocking over fences and going out with girls. I would have made a very good bishop: nice housekeeper, nice clothes - god, the clothes.

I live in words. I like looking at things, but I don't have a strong visual imagination.