As suburbs go, Bromley's not bad. But as David Bowie and Hanif Kureishi have observed, you do want to get out of there quickly.

Few pleasures are greater than knowing you can close your door, ignore the world and create your own.

Even those with unspendable fortunes only have one mind, one mouth, two ears, two eyes and one pleasure station. There's only so much fun you can take.

It's what the reader thinks that counts.

As an author, I realise, you're on your own. You have to do everything you can to help The Book. If I make sure people know it's out there, they can make up their own minds whether they want to read it.

The greatest danger of being gifted, is that you may never learn how to make an effort.

No one wants a masterpiece knocking around when your own book is looking for attention.