You don't that often see writers being sought out when there are matters of great moment to discuss. And I think that's a loss.

There are things you break that can't be put back together again. And Kashmir may be one of them.

Rock and roll music - the music of freedom frightens people and unleashes all manner of conservative defense mechanisms.

What is freedom of expression? Without the freedom to offend, it ceases to exist.

One of the extraordinary things about human events is that the unthinkable becomes thinkable.

Language is courage: the ability to conceive a thought, to speak it, and by doing so to make it true.

‘Respect for religion’ has become a code phrase meaning ‘fear of religion.’ Religions, like all other ideas, deserve criticism, satire, and, yes, our fearless disrespect.

In the cookie of life, friends are the chocolate chips.

Language upon a silvered tongue affords enchantment enough.

The whole story of migration and what that has done in interconnecting the planet is obviously something I've written about a lot.

faith without doubt is addiction

My own rule is to let everything alone.

When I needed to think or was really upset, generally I climbed a tree.

Don't ever call me mad, Mycroft. I'm not mad. I'm just ... well, differently moraled, that's all.

We hit and we kept on hitting; we were allowed to be what we were, frightened and vengeful — little animals, clawing at what we needed.

I can’t function around a man if I know his ability to give pleasure.

If a script writer had come up with a story resembling what you have just achieved, even the Hollywood studios would have refused.

The work is where I tend to feel pressure - not so much in the reaction to it.

Young people's reading choices are influenced by their peers.

I've been dancing forever; since I remember, that's what I've been doing.

You can't allow everybody in London to know that the undead exist.