I believe really strongly in imitation, actually: I think it's the first place you need to go to if you're going to be able to understand how something works. True mimicry is actually quite difficult. Eleanor Catton difficultimitationmimicry Change image and share on social
An interesting thing about New Zealand, you know, literature is that it really didn't begin in any real sense until the 20th century. Eleanor Catton 20thbegincentury Change image and share on social
The zodiac is a system a person can play with and see meaning in. Eleanor Catton meanpersonplay Change image and share on social
Margaret Atwood was the author who took me out of children's literature and guided me towards adult literature. Eleanor Catton adultatwoodauthor Change image and share on social
I am a New Zealander, but I don't want to swallow New Zealand identity in one gulp. Eleanor Catton gulpidentityswallow Change image and share on social
I don't see that my age has anything to do with what is between the covers of my book, any more than the fact that I am right-handed. It's a fact of my biography, but it's uninteresting. Eleanor Catton agebiographybook Change image and share on social
I think that's what fiction writing is actually all about. It's about trying to solve problems in creative ways. Eleanor Catton creativefictionproblem Change image and share on social
I think it's more optimistic about human nature to acknowledge that people are the products of their time but then to see that they have moments of grace and dignity that everybody has. Eleanor Catton acknowledgedignitygrace Change image and share on social
One of the things I really like about Victorian novels is the close anatomisation of character. People's gestures and mannerisms and the quality of their thought is very closely identified and analysed. Eleanor Catton analyseanatomisationcharacter share on social
I really wanted to write an adventure story, a murder-mystery that was set during the gold-rush years in New Zealand. Eleanor Catton adventuregoldmurder Change image and share on social
