Any story that gets us thinking, and particularly young people, thinking why? Whether it's as a result of reading the book, or coming out of the theatre or the cinema, I think we should just simply be asking the question 'why'? Why did it happen to those people? Was it necessary? And anything that gets us thinking like that is really important.

We have bodies coming home and coffins covered in flags, not just in the UK but world-wide.

What's really good is that there are people making stories and writing them and the vast majority never see the light of day and it doesn't matter a fig.

Often it's the latest novel that I've written that is my favourite. I'd been dreaming it for so long, living and breathing its story so that when it finally arrives as a newly published book, smelling wonderful and fresh out of the box, there is nothing like it.

Admitting failure is quite cleansing, but never - pleasurable.

You know, I really wish now I'd had the nerve to become an actor. Because I'd have been Robert Redford, no question.

Blind terror drove me on, with my flying stirrups whipping me into a frenzy. With no rider to carry I reached the kneeling riflemen first and they scattered as I came upon them.