In my case, the long gaps between my books have got quite a lot to do with lack of confidence. A lot of the time when I'm not writing I start thinking I can't do it.

In my case, the long gaps between my books have got quite a lot to do with lack of confidence. A lot of the time when I'm not writing I start thinking I can't do it.

The interesting thing is that you don't often meet a poet who doesn't have a sense of humour, and some of them do keep it out of their poems because they're afraid of being seen as light versifiers.

Write to amuse? What an appalling suggestion! I write to make people anxious and miserable and to worsen their indigestion.

My heart has made its mind up And I’m afraid it’s you. Whatever you’ve got lined up, My heart has made its mind up And if you can’t be signed up This year, next year will do. My heart has made its mind up And I’m afraid it’s you.

I have a theory that if you've got the kind of parents who want to send you to boarding school, you're probably better off at boarding school.

I think it's a question which particularly arises over women writers: whether it's better to have a happy life or a good supply of tragic plots.