[My work] is a love song to our mongrel selves.

You can't have modern states based on ideas which have been out of date for a thousand years.

But I - and I just think it's very - one of the problems of defending the extraordinary principle of freedom of speech is that you have to defend freedom of speech for people like that too.

The publishing of a book is a worldwide event. The attempt to suppress a book is a worldwide event.

I will come back to India - so deal with it.

The acceptance that all that is solid has melted into the air, that reality and morality are not givens but imperfect human constructs, is the point from which fiction begins.

I have always thought, the secret purpose of the book tour is to make the writer hate the book he's written. And, as a result, drive him to write another book.