I am clumsy, a late and nervous driver, and despise all sports except a little gentle dancing or yoga.

I think I know what it's like to have a family that the outside world sees as peculiar or lacking.

Writers should be applauded for their ability to make things up.

I was not exploiting any real individual's story in writing ROOM, of course I was aware that my novel, by commenting on such situations, would run the risk of falling into those traps of voyeurism, sensationalism and sentimentality.

Something we do know is that review coverage does go to male authors more than women authors. That's a fact. I think it's one of those examples of unconscious bias: If you hire a lot of male journalists, they're more likely to pick up the latest Ian McEwan novel than the latest A.S. Byatt novel.

I hate desks; they make me feel like a child doing homework.

If you have written something that the film people want, like a book, it does give you a way in.