It's one of the ironies of mountaineering,' said Young, 'that grown men are happy to spend months preparing for a climb, weeks rehearsing and honing their skills, and at least a day attempting to reach the summit. And then, having achieved their goal, they spend just a few moments enjoying the experience, along with one or two equally certifiable companions who have little in common other than wanting to do it all again, but a little higher.

I want to be your stranger across a crowded room.

Actually, Sydney is my second favourite city on earth, I love Sydney, but this is the greatest.

I have discovered with advancing years that few things are entirely black or white, but more often different shades of grey.

War and Peace maddens me because I didn't write it myself, and worse, I couldn't.

Well I think after leaving prison, and having written three diaries about life in prison, it became a sort of a new challenge to write another novel, to write a new novel.

I'm not taking any interest in politics. I'm not involved in politics in any way. My life is in writing now.