The real malady is fear of life, not of death

I thought they would never select an Eastern writer for the Nobel. I was surprised.

I love Sufism as I love beautiful poetry, but it is not the answer. Sufism is like a mirage in the desert. It says to you, come and sit, relax and enjoy yourself for a while.

Events at home, at work, in the street - these are the bases for a story.

Excessive concern with religion seems to me a last resort for people who have been exhausted by life.

History is full of people who went to prison or were burned at the stake for proclaiming their ideas. Society has always defended itself.

It is simply not part of my culture to preserve notes. I have never heard of a writer preserving his early drafts.