At New Year's he had given Anne a present of silver forks with handles of rock crystal. He hopes she will use them to eat with, not to stick in people.

I think if the monarchy were removed tomorrow, it wouldn't have a huge effect on the national mind-set.

Feminism hasn't failed, it's just never been tried.

A statute is written to entrap meaning, a poem to escape it.

For what's the point of breeding children, if each generation does not improve on what went before.

It was a very funny conference. I knew [Christopher Hitchens] before that. He had always been a good angel to me. He once stole a phrase from me that came out of his mouth on television. I saw his eyes move sideways. I thought, It's alright, you can have it! The conference was light on women. Salman Rushdie showed up, they were doing their own thing. I didn't feel neglected!

You're only young once, they say, but doesn't it go on for a long time? More years than you can bear.