Fiction is supposed to be immersive and supposed to be entertaining and narrative, so structures have to be buried a little bit. If they come foregrounded too much, it stops being fiction and starts being poetry - something more concrete and out of time. Eleanor Catton biteburyconcrete share on social
I think that, in principle, a workshop is such a beautiful idea - an environment in which writers who are collectively apprenticed to the craft of writing can come together in order to collectively improve. Eleanor Catton apprenticebeautifulcollectively share on social
I'm the rogue Canadian in my family - I just happened to be born here while my parents were studying here. Eleanor Catton bearcanadianfamily Change image and share on social
I think that writers of literary fiction would do well to read more books for children. Eleanor Catton bookchildfiction Change image and share on social
In my experience, and that of a lot of other women writers, all of the questions coming at them from interviewers tend to be about how lucky they are to be where they are - about luck and identity and how the idea struck them. Eleanor Catton comeexperienceidea share on social
Astrology's a moving system that depends on where you're looking at it from on Earth. My horoscope here in London would be completely different to down in New Zealand. Eleanor Catton astrologycompletelydepend Change image and share on social
The books that really made an impact on me were not set in New Zealand. Some were New Zealand novels, but the New Zealandness of them was not what carried me or excited me. Eleanor Catton bookcarryexcite Change image and share on social
I'm a Libra. I'm happy to be an air sign, but I do think I have a little too much air in my chart as a whole - some more water would be useful, especially in my personal life, as an emotional counterweight to all that abstraction. Eleanor Catton abstractionairchart share on social
As an artist, you need to be not at all entitled in your relation with the work. So money is kind of worrying. You can start to expect things if you're used to a certain level of comfort. Eleanor Catton artistcomfortentitle Change image and share on social
It seems pretentious to assume that we are not creatures of action. I think often it takes a situation of extreme absurdity, extreme action, to push us to the limits of what our character is, and to change us as people. Eleanor Catton absurdityactionassume share on social
