Equally, we require a collective past - hence the endless reinterpretations of history, frequently to suit the perceptions of the present.

If people don't read, that's their choice; a lifelong book habit may itself be some sort of affliction.

In old age, you realise that while you're divided from your youth by decades, you can close your eyes and summon it at will. As a writer it puts one at a distinct advantage.

The Photograph is concerned with the power that the past has to interfere with the present: the time bomb in the cupboard.

All history, of course, is the history of wars.

I do like to embed a fictional character firmly in an occupation.

I'm intrigued by the way in which physical appearance can often direct a person's life; things happen differently for a beautiful woman than for a plain one.