Even if they knew the truth of their own feelings, most mothers would be socially and emotionally incapable of revealing it.

The 'good' mother, with her fixed smile, her rigidity, her goody-goody outlook, her obsession with unnecessary hygiene, is in fact a fool. It is the 'bad' mother, unafraid of a joke and a glass of wine, richly self-expressive, scornful of suburban values, who is, in reality, good.

The distinctive feature of my family was intolerance of sensitivity and emotion - everything's great, it all has to be great all the time and why do you have to spoil it? Whereas probably the most fundamental and important thing to me has been defending my right to tell the truth about how I feel.

Every time I write a book, I've probably taken five years off my life.

I absolutely don't dislike children - I would choose their company over adult company any time.

Feminism remains something that needs to be explained to people.

If love is what is held to make us immortal, hatred is the reverse.