Grabbing readers by the imagination is a writer's job.

It is through our extended family that we first learn to compromise and come to an understanding that even if we don't always agree about things we can still love and look out for each other.

I always thought that bagels and lox was my soul food, but it turns out it's sushi.

Something I notice speaking to writers from south of Hadrians Wall is that the culture is different. At base, I think Scotland values its creative industries differently from England.

I jealously guard my research time and I love fully immersing myself in those dusty old books and papers. It's one of the most enjoyable parts of my job.

The sky was a sparkling succession of black diamonds on black velvet made crystal clear by the blackout.

I believe the era of the militant lady is back.

Without archives many stories of real people would be lost, and along with those stories, vital clues that allow us to reflect and interpret our lives today.

Research material can turn up anywhere - in a dusty old letter in an archive, a journal or some old photographs you find in a charity shop.

Writers of novels live in a strange world where what's made up is as important as what's real.

Books have a vital place in our culture. They are the source of ideas, of stories that engage and stretch the imagination and most importantly, inspire.

No matter how much you water the ground, if the ground holds no seed then no plant is coming out. Don’t expect the plant to come out unless you have sown the seed

Observe the Lord’s Day as he would have you, and perhaps He will observe your days as you would have Him.

Endurance is critical if you want to succeed spectacularly at anything God sets before you.

I'm starting to find out that a lot of people that you wouldn't think listen to me really do.

Trying to gin up political violence for its electoral utility is - I think inarguably what we're seeing here. And I know that the Donald Trump campaign will not say that is what they're doing.

Beauty is but skin deep, ugly to the bone. And when beauty fades away, ugly claims its own.

I studied at a grammar school and later at the University of Vienna in the Faculty of Medicine.

"We die," she said, "we die together. That's the deal."

Perhaps I was born too early. I was more the painter of your generation than of mine.

[Science is] piecemeal revelation.