We have learned in recent years to translate almost all of political life in terms of conspiracy. And the spy novel, as never before, really, has come into its own.

The world of spying is my genre. My struggle is to demystify, to de-romanticise the spook world, but at the same time harness it as a good story.

Multi-billion-dollar multinational corporations view the exploitation of the world's sick and dying as a sacred duty to their shareholders.

For better or worse, I've been involved in the description of political conflict.

Luck's just another word for destiny... either you make your own or you're screwed.

More particularly, having a largely German-oriented education has made me very responsive to 19th-century German literature.

I can't think of anybody worse to live with.