In a vacuum all photons travel at the same speed. They slow down when travelling through air or water or glass. Photons of different energies are slowed down at different rates. If Tolstoy had known this, would he have recognised the terrible untruth at the beginning of Anna Karenina? 'All happy families are alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own particular way.' In fact it's the other way around. Happiness is a specific. Misery is a generalisation. People usually know exactly why they are happy. They very rarely know why they are miserable.

Everything in writing begins with language. Language begins with listening.

What a strange world this is when you can have as much sex as you like but love is taboo.

I never wanted children. If I'd been deeply in love with a man and he'd wanted children, it would have been difficult.

Somewhere between fear and sex passion is.

I like to think the price I paid by being open about my private life helped.

London is a small place, and it is very incestuous. People know where you live. Everybody is sort of on top of each other.