“When I realised that I had feelings for men as well as women, at first...” — Vikram Seth Quote

When I realised that I had feelings for men as well as women, at first I was worried and frightened, and there was a certain amount of 'Who am I? Am I a criminal?' and so on. It took me a long time to come to terms with myself. Those were painful years - painful then and painful to look back on.

I want my books to sell, to be read. I'm not interested in being obscure.

Basically, my mother couldn't hold a tune and when I was a baby, a rather tactless baby, I would ask her not to sing... you can't get to sleep if someone is singing off key nearby.

As for what I listen to after writing, it could be anything - but I've noticed that if the current book contains music from one tradition, it is music from another tradition that most relaxes me.

There are moments when everything goes well, but don't be frightened.

If you turn down work because you are frightened of getting typecast, you'll never do anything good.

Most of the things I do are inspired by things that frightened me when I was young.

I'm frightened of interviews.

If you are not frightened, you are not original.