Library campaigners are not prepared to stand by and watch something they cherish be dismantled brick by brick.

I read a lot of thrillers, especially American crime novels.

There’s only one difference between published and unpublished writers, and it is this -- the first group see their work in print on the shelves of Waterstone’s or Tesco or online at Amazon; the second group are yet to have physical evidence of the hours, weeks, years spent fashioning words into their patterns. You are already a writer.

We are who we are, be­cause of those we choose to love and be­cause of those who love us.

There comes always a moment when the desire to act, however ill the cause, is stronger than the wish to listen.

Lots of people have objections to prizes of all types, and it would be extraordinary if everybody agreed on anything that's worthwhile - they never do.

All prizes have a role, if they are run with integrity and with a clear focus on reading and quality writing. I don't think any of them is necessary, but they all play an incredibly important role in building a body of literature, in introducing new authors to new readers, and extending reading.