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.

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

Books have a vital place in our culture. They are the source of ideas, of stories that engage and stretch the imagination and most importantly, inspire.

Very often the characters people respond to best have little parts of reality they can relate to.

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

The new contract between writers and readers is one I'm prepared to sign up to. I've met some fascinating people at events and online. Down with the isolation of writers I say! And long live Twitter.

History at its best is a gritty, dirty business.