In Britain, the great hidden secret of talking animals and children's literature is how political it was in its bones, beneath the obvious cuteness. Andrew O'Hagan animalbeneathbone Change image and share on social
The characters in 'Be Near Me' come from a genuine place, a Britain that is more than one country and more than one ideal. Andrew O'Hagan britaincharactercountry Change image and share on social
I always knew I would come to London. I loved Glasgow, but it seemed filled with echoes of my parents' lives, and sometimes you just want a city of your own. Andrew O'Hagan cityechofill Change image and share on social
Once upon a time, I thought that politics was the name we gave to our higher instincts. That was before Margaret Thatcher, who came to power when I was 11 years old. Andrew O'Hagan givehighinstinct Change image and share on social
We sometimes forget that human invention can also be a subject of human invention: that might seem a modern notion, or a postmodern one, but novelists have taken time - sometimes time out from their realist fixations - to source and satirise the speech and power we rely on. Andrew O'Hagan fixationforgethuman share on social
A theatre is not a blank page for editorial, it is not a soapbox or a Tannoy system: it is a conscience that wakes with what is happening in the space, and wakes further still in response to what people are making of it. Andrew O'Hagan blankconscienceeditorial share on social
I was 10 when I realised I couldn't stand football. I'd tried, obviously, before this - no one wants to give in to social pariah-hood without a fight. I had stood frozen on pitches, done some running about and shouted a lot, as though I cared. Andrew O'Hagan carefightfootball share on social
When I was growing up, my idea of a writer was someone like Sven Hassel, that mysterious Danish author who wrote thrillers about men clambering over walls and getting tangled in barbed wire. Andrew O'Hagan authorbarbedclamber Change image and share on social
Writing a novel is an act of self-annihilation as much as self-discovery. You can kill whole appetites and flood whole depths while plumbing them, but if you are serious about it you also get to put something into the world that wasn't quite there before. Andrew O'Hagan actannihilationappetite share on social
I don't believe in the meteoric culture of anxiety, generally. Obviously, some people have it, some people are crippled by it, but most of the novelists I've ever known are in love with influence. They thrive on it. Andrew O'Hagan anxietycrippleculture share on social
