I respond to the sound of London being spoken - to the sound of London.

There has always been, for me, this other world, this second world to fall back on--a more reliable world in so far as it does not hide that its premise is illusion.

People die when curiosity goes.

All novelists must form their personal pacts in some way with the slowness of their craft. There are some who demand of themselves a 'rate of production,' for whom it's a matter of pride to complete, say, a book every year.

Of course there are times when I hate London, but equally there are times when I can walk 'round a corner and I really feel that this is my place.

I like the world we've got. If there is anything special and magical, I have to find it in the ordinary stuff.

Literature is the voice of the human heart.