I hated being a novelist when I was 20 - I had nothing to write about. A. S. Byatt hatenovelistwrite Change image and share on social
When I was a child - in wartime, pre-television - books were my life. A. S. Byatt bookchildlife Change image and share on social
I like feeling my way into different minds and experiences. It comes naturally and always has. A. S. Byatt experiencefeltmind Change image and share on social
There are things I take sides about, like capital punishment, which it seems to me there is only one side about: it is evil. But there are two or three sides to sexual harassment, and the moment you get into particular cases, there is injustice in every conceivable direction. It's a mess. A. S. Byatt capitalcaseconceivable share on social
It's because I'm a feminist that I can't stand women limiting other women's imaginations. It really makes me angry. A. S. Byatt angryfeministimagination Change image and share on social
I'd like to write the way Matisse paints. A. S. Byatt matissepaintwrite Change image and share on social
If a novelist tells you something she knows or thinks, and you believe her, that is not because either of you think she is God, but because she is doing her work - as a novelist. A. S. Byatt godnovelisttell Change image and share on social
I think the virtue I prize above all others is curiosity. If you look really hard at almost anybody, and try to see why they're doing what they're doing, taking a dig at them ceases to be what you want to do even if you hate them. A. S. Byatt ceasecuriositydig share on social
There is a certain aesthetic pleasure in trying to imagine the unimaginable and failing, if you are a reader. A. S. Byatt aestheticfailimagine Change image and share on social
I'm more interested in books than people, and I always expect everybody else to be, but they're not. A. S. Byatt bookexpectinterest Change image and share on social