I Think Of My Pile Of Old

Now When I Look Back To The Guildford Of That Time It Seems Far More Exotic To Me Than Nagasaki.

I Grew Up In Britain Before It Became A Multicultural Place, So In Many Ways I Have A Nostalgia For An England That's Vanished - The England Of My Childhood Has Actually Disappeared.

It Is All Very Well, In These Changing Times, To Adapt One's Work To Take In Duties Not Traditionally Within One's Realm; But Bantering Is Of Another Dimension Altogether. For One Thing, How Would One Know For Sure That At Any Given Moment A Response Of The Bantering Sort Is Truly What Is Expected? One Need Hardly Dwell On The Catastrophic Possibility Of Uttering A Bantering Remark Only To Discover It Wholly Inappropriate.

If I'm Alone At Home, I Get Increasingly Restless, Bothered By The Idea That I'm Missing Some Crucial Encounter Out There Somewhere. But If I'm Left By Myself In Someone Else's Place, I Often Find Myself A Nice Sense Of Peace Engulfing Me. I Love Sinking Into An Unfamiliar Sofa With Whatever Book Happens To Be Lying Nearby.

I Think The Judging Process Is Full Of Integrity, Compared To Some Other Prizes Around The World. The Fact That They Change The Panel Of Judges Every Year Keeps It From Becoming Corrupt. I Think It's Very Difficult If You've Got Judges For Life; Obviously Relationships Are Cultivated Between Judges And Authors, And Publishing Houses.