One of Scotland's most important cultural exports - stories.

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.

I'm bored with that line. I never use it anymore. My new line is "In 15 minutes everybody will be famous.

I travel a fair amount, read on the plane, and I read fast.

It's not a real name," she says. "Not one that he's carried with him always. It's one he wears like his hat. So he can take it off if he wants.

The moment the organic unity of belief and behaviour is damaged in any way, we are incapable of living out the full humanity for which we were created.

We hate the kindness which we understand.

The Federal Government is exploiting public fear to redefine the relationship between the rulers and the American people.

Both T.S. Eliot and I like to play, but I like to play euchre, while he likes to play Eucharist.

I don't want to bury anything in poetry.

The animal has no intellectual capacity to justify or to find reasons to exist. An animal just exists because it's the natural thing to do.