I'd make a terrible casting director.

This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities they have, their greatest fear, I don't actually see their faces.

Loneliness is a huge issue for both individuals and for society. It's taken a long time for the issue to be treated seriously and for us to begin to understand the impact it can have.

I love 19th century fiction and, in particular, fiction written by and about women.

I don't listen to music when I write. If I do, I usually end up giving it my whole attention, which means, unfortunately, I don't get much work done!

The skill of a gifted actor, their ability to interpret and develop a character and truly bring her or him to life, is one that I admire enormously.

I know some writers are meticulous planners, but I'm not one of them.

'Eleanor' was so much fun to write, because there's a brutal honesty about her. She's got no filters and no concept of social norms.

If you start a new career at 40, you've still got another 35 years to go.

I started doing a Ph.D., and then I thought, 'I don't really want to spend all this time on my own in the library.'