I never bought the idea of individual genius from which the novel spews forth. It's always an act of curation.

The world is now multicultural the same way the world is round. It's not a selling point, it's not a 'quirky' feature, it's not a cynical marketing ploy, it's not an artistic statement, it's not even a plot device. It's a fact, like seedless grapes.

I wrote 'White Teeth' in the late nineties. I didn't really feel trepidatious about it. It was a different time.

Sometimes, one wants to have the illusion that one is making ones own life, out of ones own resources.

The really heroic thing about Nick Hornby is that he lives in north London and rarely leaves it... Every English writer needs their corner that is forever England - but only a few brave men choose to make that corner Highbury.

It's got two aspects. The bit that involves the public life I could not really tolerate and cannot really tolerate. I just can't get used to the idea of being somebody unreal in people's minds. I can't live my life like that.

When the male organ of a man stands erect, two thirds of his intelect go away. And one third of his religion.