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

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

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

History at its best is a gritty, dirty business.

It is one of the benchmarks of a culture I always think – the page at which it operates. A good way to measure it is to order a taxi and see how irate local people get if it is late.

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

Everyone assumes writers spend their time lounging around, writing and occasionally striking a pose whilst having a think.