It is all very well, in these changing times, to adapt one's work to take in duties not traditionally within one's realm; but bantering is of another dimension altogether. For one thing, how would one know for sure that at any given moment a response of the bantering sort is truly what is expected? One need hardly dwell on the catastrophic possibility of uttering a bantering remark only to discover it wholly inappropriate.

And so we stood together like that, at the top of that field for what seemed like ages, not saying anything, just holding each other, while the wind kept blowing and blowing at us, tugging our clothes, and for a moment, it seemed like we were holding onto each other because that was the only way to stop us from being swept away into the night.

My friends and I took songwriting very, very seriously. My hero was and still is Bob Dylan, but also people like Leonard Cohen and Joni Mitchell and that whole generation.

You say you’re sure? Sure that you’re in love? How can you know it? You think love is so simple?

I think of my pile of old paperbacks, their pages gone wobbly, like they'd once belonged to the sea.

I started as a songwriter and wanted to be like Leonard Cohen. I've always seen my stories as enlarged songs.

The evening's the best part of the day. You've done your day's work. Now you can put your feet up and enjoy it.