A little bit of one story joins onto an idea from another, and hey presto, . . . not old tales but new ones. Nothing comes from nothing.

I only met Margaret Thatcher twice. The thing that I thought about meeting her was how extraordinarily intelligent she was. You really had to be on your game otherwise she'd make mincemeat of you.

It seems that the right of freedom of speech that was enshrined in numerous constitutions is now under attack by religious institutions.

I'd wanted to create a storm so that I could become more famous and richer.

We cannot allow religious hooligans to place limiting points on thought.

I believe in the art of literature, I believe in freedom of the imagination, I believe in the kind of liberties that we enjoy in these lucky countries of the world.

I've always prided myself on my discipline as a writer. I do it like a job. I get up in the morning and go to my desk.