Every writer must acknowledge and be able to handle the unalterable fact that he has, in effect, given himself a life sentence in solitary confinement. The ordinary world of work is closed to him - and that if he's lucky!

Fear and I were old buddies, despite my best efforts to the contrary.

In violence there is often the quality of yearning - the yearning for completion. For closure. For that which is absent and would if present bring to fulfillment. For the body without which the wing is a useless frozen ornament. ("A Short Guide To The City")

A lyrical, brave and complex novel that takes enormous risks and pulls them all off.

You'll never get anything done if you walk around with an unchipped heart.

However, I think I managed to reach a new level with Koko, and I will always be grateful for the experience.

My first real breakthrough collided with the last months of Callaghan's Labour government, which had every intention of enjoying my success as much as I did.