I have to be able to see the thing that's going on that I'm writing about, or else it just doesn't make any sense to me.

You write a scene, and it works or it doesn't. It's immediate.

I've never been interested in being relevant.

You searched through all my poets, From Sappho through to Auden, I saw the book fall from your hands, As you slowly died of boredom.

Cynicism and defensiveness are two things constantly levelled at me. Look, I've got time for people, I'm good mannered. I usually find that when you're down, nobody has a bloody minute for you. If I was a nobody, you wouldn't even talk to me. People, in general, don't like you being upfront and civil. They hate you for it. They label you a cynic 'cos you're reasonable.

I don't know, maybe Australian humour isn't supposed to be funny. It's as dry as the Sahara, and I think people miss that.

I'm kind of old-school and love nothing more than sitting, opening a book, and reading it. But I also love listening to audio books.