Ethics are not necessarily to do with being law-abiding. I am very interested in the moral path, doing the right thing.

In the end, it is my belief, words are the only things that can construct a world that makes sense.

Not being published would be great. When I say that to other writers they look at me as if I'm totally insane.

I did feel when my mother died if anyone was going to haunt me it would be her. And she hasn't, so I think it is possibly the end.

Why do cats sleep so much? Perhaps they've been trusted with some major cosmic task, an essential law of physics - such as: if there are less than five million cats sleeping at any one time the world will stop spinning.

Fairy tales opened up a door into my imagination - they don't conform to the reality that's around you as a child. I started reading when I was three and read everything, but I wanted to be an actress.

Life wasn't about becoming, was it? It was about being.