'Rejection is familiar to every writer. It was already familiar to me when I first sent out my book proposal, as it is to so many other freelance journalists who pitch ideas.'

Rejection is familiar to every writer. It was already familiar to me when I first sent out my book proposal, as it is to so many other freelance journalists who pitch ideas to editors. Sometimes you can learn something from rejection, sometimes you can’t.

'Bruce Chatwin turned down the Thomas Cook Travel Book of the Year award, and its cheque, because, he averred, ‘I’m not a travel writer’. '

One cannot deny the existence of a genre hierarchy among writers. Bruce Chatwin turned down the Thomas Cook Travel Book of the Year award, and its cheque, because, he averred, ‘I’m not a travel writer’. The genre was beneath him.

'My early plays were all set in London. It was what I knew. London fascinated me. Who were these city dwellers? '

My early plays were all set in London. It was what I knew. London fascinated me. Who were these city dwellers? What was their life story? My first play, about two outsiders connected by the same woman, was set on Holloway Road.

'In my twenties I would never abandon a book I had started, from a mixture of stubbornness and courtesy to the author, however little I was enjoying it. '

In my twenties I would never abandon a book I had started, from a mixture of stubbornness and courtesy to the author, however little I was enjoying it. Now, I am more mindful of time nipping at my heels, if I am not engaged by page fifty.

'Once or twice in my writing life a piece of writing has come to me fully formed, spilling onto the page almost faster than I can write.'

Once or twice in my writing life a piece of writing has come to me fully formed, spilling onto the page almost faster than I can write, and needing very little editing. Those times were exhilarating and otherworldly, but I can count them on one hand.

'‘What is it?’ asked Ron, my editor. ‘It’s a manuscript written on a computer,’ his colleague told him. ‘I’ve just been sent it from America.’ '

‘What is it?’ asked Ron, my editor. ‘It’s a manuscript written on a computer,’ his colleague told him. ‘I’ve just been sent it from America.’ Ron took the manuscript and leafed through a few pages. ‘This is going to put us out of a job,’ he said.

'I felt like I was taking charge of my destiny. Several novels down the line, the idea of autonomy feels naive. '

I felt like I was taking charge of my destiny. Several novels down the line, the idea of autonomy feels naive. In reflecting on how writing changes the writer, I realise I’ve drifted into how being published changes the writer: a Freudian slip.

'Mrs Drue Heinz, the benefactor who bought Hawthornden Castle, thought of everything when she designed their residential fellowships. '

This is a place that’s perfect for writing, because it’s been designed purely for that purpose. Mrs Drue Heinz, the benefactor who bought Hawthornden Castle decades ago, thought of everything when she and her trustees designed their fellowships.

'Writing is a search to find a pattern in the messy, contradictory details of the non-writing life — yours, mine, everybody’s. '

Writing is a search to find a pattern in the messy, contradictory details of the non-writing life — yours, mine, everybody’s. You can only sit in your cork–lined room if you’ve lived a bit: we must write from experience after all, not ideas.

'Had some literary giant gatecrashed? No; it was the footballer Rio Ferdinand, who had presumably wandered in by accident. He signed my book.'

Had some literary giant gatecrashed? No; it was the footballer Rio Ferdinand, who had presumably wandered in by accident. He signed my book. It was only much later that I realised this was the wrong way round. We got the diary piece, though.