Those who have not been stung will hardly fear a bee the same as those who have.

There is something particularly fascinating about seeing places you know in a piece of art - be that in a film, or a photograph or painting.

For a novelist, the gaps in a story are as intriguing as material that still exists.

An Aunt is a safe haven for a child. Someone who will keep your secrets and is always on your side.

History is full of blank spaces, but good stories, invariably, are not.

Research material can turn up anywhere - in a dusty old letter in an archive, a journal or some old photographs you find in a charity shop.

To me, reading through old letters and journals is like treasure hunting. Somewhere in those faded, handwritten lines there is a story that has been packed away in a dusty old box for years.