I don't have much of an imagination, but I have a mind bank of details, which I play with. It's how I daydream, so writing like that is natural for me.

What works for me is that I read widely and stay focused on my writing. I'm no longer concerned about what happens in the literary marketplace. It is distracting and can lead to discontent.

I never wanted to be a writer; I just had stories I needed to tell.

I never wanted to be a writer; I just had stories I wanted to share so I learnt how to write and kept going. If I could sing or paint, I would.

I don't remember being a keen reader, but apparently I was. My aunt told me that whenever I was teased for reading, I would say, "To each his own."

People don’t fear the wind until it fells a tree. Then, they say it’s too much.

I don't have a schedule, but I can write for hours non-stop. If I'm drafting a book, I try and do a chapter a day. I dislike first drafts. Revision is a lot more fun, but it takes years.

I have to say that writing about my writing process is more daunting than writing non-fiction.

I read Macbeth as a secondary student in Nigeria and it was like an African play to me. It had all the right elements - witches, kings and assassinations.

At some point, practicality requires that you reach out to people in the business. You have to take care of business if you value your work.

For all forms, writing dialogue is almost like writing music. I pay close attention to rhythms and tones.

The moment you stop chasing happiness, you become happy.

He realised, more vividly than ever before, that art had two constant, two unending preoccupations: it is always meditating upon death and it is always thereby creating life.

Music transcends the boundaries of language.

The secret of life is love, but the purpose of life is happiness.

A wrong mind-set is like bad soil that restricts a plant’s growth. Similarly, limiting beliefs about ‘what we deserve’ hinder our growth. They stop us from being abundant in every area of our life.

I didn't go on dialysis because I was 81 years old and I'd done everything I wanted, or so I thought.

The Italians have voices like peacocks - German gives me a cold in the head - and Russian is nothing but sneezing

I believe everybody should have a room where they get rid of all their releases. So my room was a stage.

Nobody will stop you from creating. Do it tonight. Do it tomorrow. That is the way to make your soul grow.

I always liked magic. I was always embarrassed by liking magic because I liked the fact that they're just lying.