By the time I sit down and face the blank page I am raring to go. I tell it as if I'm talking to my best friend or one of my grandchildren.

Stories make you think and dream; books make you want to ask questions.

Read a lot - poems, prose, stories, newspapers, anything. Read books and poems that you think you will like and some that you think might not be for you. You might be surprised.

There's a nobility in his eye, a regal serenity about him. Does he not personify all that men try to be and never can be?

It's the teacher that makes the difference, not the classroom.

Don't worry about writing a book or getting famous or making money. Just lead an interesting life.

Always write your ideas down however silly or trivial they might seem. Keep a notebook with you at all times.

Animals are sentient, intelligent, perceptive, funny and entertaining. We owe them a duty of care as we do to children.

Live an interesting life. Meet people. Read a lot and widely, learn from the great writers

Encouraging young people to believe in themselves and find their own voice whether it's through writing, drama or art is so important in giving young people a sense of self-worth.

Being his real brother I could feel I live in his shadows, but I never have and I do not now. I live in his glow.

Desire for power is a kind of greed indulged by the unfulfilled

Patient endurance is the greatest life survival skills.

I wanted to learn everything I could about what it takes to be a great chef. It was a turning point for me.

When a man is tired of New York he is tired of work. And thought. And cheesecake.

If anyone was talking about journalism in the '50s - it was Edward R.Murrow.

You confuse what's important with what's impressive.

For we put the thought of all that we love into all that we make.

It is very well to be able to write a book, but can you waggle your ears?

I am quite a physical chap - I think that's why my waist and physique are pretty much the same as when I was a kid, although my chest is a lot bigger.

Winter always turns into Spring. Never, from ancient times on, has anyone heard or seen of winter turning back to autumn.