I'm a library user and I just don't hoard books. To me, they're for sharing.

I had loved poetry and the theatre. Now I loved adventure more.

As an historical novelist - there are few jobs more retrospective.

Without archives many stories of real people would be lost, and along with those stories, vital clues that allow us to reflect and interpret our lives today.

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

Something I notice speaking to writers from south of Hadrians Wall is that the culture is different. At base, I think Scotland values its creative industries differently from England.

My father could talk about the Romany way of life and its culture. He could talk about freedom and the Scottish spirit. But that was all he could talk about. I was desperate for someone to talk to but there was just nobody there.