“I think the Internet was invented specifically to stop people finishin...” — John Lanchester Quote

I think the Internet was invented specifically to stop people finishing their books. And it does quite a good job. I don't have blocking software, though I could easily imagine needing it. I just don't do that stuff until I've got the words done for the day.

I do believe in that thing about the reading audience being very important to the formation of the novel at its birth.

I remember, the first few years here, I didn't like London much: too big, too crowded, the physical difficulty of getting around.

I'm an omniviorous reader, but I don't read what could overlap with my own work. It's like tuning a radio frequency - it's much harder to pick up if there's something else there.

When you're shooting a TV show, sometimes it's more about, like, the blocking: it's usually - it's really fast. 'Walk here, walk here, walk and talk here.'

I think all the actors I've worked with knew that I was an actor. Like, I get into the dirt with my actors and we figure out the rhythm of the scene and how it needs to sound and what the blocking is, the way you would with another actor.

I've been thinking about my life, my loss of friends, relationships, opportunities, money, my values. There's also the loss of relationship with my son and my daughter, who I've only met once. All that loss - I just got so good at blocking it out.

I don't actually like blocking actors. I prefer giving actors freedom. They don't have to step on a precise mark with me. Instead of giving marks to the actors I like to give marks to the camera.