You don't get on by being original. You don't get on by being bright. You don't get on by being strong. You get on by being a subtle crook.

Memory isn't a theme; it's part of the human condition.

I was the subject of an experiment in love. I lived my life under her gaze, undergoing certain trials for her so that she would not have to undergo them for herself. But, how are our certainties forged, except by the sweat and tears of other people? If your parents don't teach you how to live; you learn it from books; and clever people watch you learn from your mistakes.

You don't get on by being original. You don't get on by being bright. You don't get on by being strong. You get on by being a subtle crook.

I will get into trouble, I am sure, because since my Kate Middleton speech and before, certain papers were after me. I am not saying, however, that it would have been moral or right to assassinate Mrs. [Margaret] Thatcher, but I know it will be read that way. I know it will cause a problem.

Like every writer, I'm drawn by unlikely juxtapositions, precisely-dated and once-only collisions between people from different worlds.

Fear of commitment lies behind the fear of writing.