I often think I would like to come even closer to home and write about somewhere like Wales, for example - which we in England tend to be a little snooty about. That's where the coal comes from and that sort of thing.

This terrible frustration that we so often feel in the West in not being able to articulate and express ourselves.

I was talking to my publisher in Britain and was told here we are - we are sixty million people and we reckon only four hundred thousand people in Britain really read.

I find the public reaction to writing - it's fascinating in this modern age. Of course people are able to interact with me and email me, and I get quite a few I suppose.

I tend to prefer traveling in the Third World countries. Like Ethiopia. Or Eritrea.

In Western Civilization - America and Britain - if you see people talking and it becomes an argument and voices are raised, you are not surprised if violence follows. Hopefully it won't, but you are not surprised.

Diplomacy was what I wanted to do. From really quite an early age and I think I had a false impression that diplomacy equals travel.