She's a pot-of-tea-before-I-say-boo-to-you woman. There's always a pile of warm teabags in the sink when I come down, like what a horse would leave behind.

The Irish are the niggers of Europe, lads.

It was a sign of growing up, when the dark made no more difference to you than the day.

Schools don't really allow failure and yet it's part of any endeavour, not just writing.

It's hard for me to measure them, or to assess my books because I'm so close to them.

I write short stories when a little idea occurs to me, that I know isn't a part of a novel that will stand by itself and should be concentrated.

Do be kind to yourself. Fill pages as quickly as possible; double space, or write on every second line. Regard every new page as a small triumph. Until you get to page 50. Then calm down, and start worrying about the quality. Do feel anxiety - it's the job.