In my 20s I was in constant pain from undiagnosed endometriosis. With no prospect of a cure, I decided I needed a career - writing - that could accommodate being ill.

It is all very well planning what you will do in six months, what you will do in a year, but it’s no good at all if you don’t have a plan for tomorrow.

[Margaret Thatcher] aroused such strong loathing in so many people. That's the fact that interests me.

People will identify with a persecuted minority without asking themselves what they are identifying with.

I do myself think that history is a set of skills rather than a narrative.

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.

It's not easy to diagnose because depending where the endometrial deposits are, the symptoms can be quite different. It's an unrecognized problem among teenage girls, and it's something that every young woman who has painful menstruation should be aware of... It's a condition that is curable if it's caught early. If not, if it's allowed to run on, it can cause infertility, and it can really, really mess up your life.