Young readers have to be entertained. No child reads fiction because they think it's going to make them a better person. Mark Haddon childentertainfiction Change image and share on social
Most adults, unlike most children, understand the difference between a book that will hold them spellbound for a rainy Sunday afternoon and a book that will put them in touch with a part of themselves they didn't even know existed. Mark Haddon adultafternoonbook share on social
Every life is narrow. Our only escape is not to run away, but to learn to love the people we are and the world in which we find ourselves. Mark Haddon escapefindlearn Change image and share on social
My book has a very simple surface, but there are layers of irony and paradox all the way through it. Mark Haddon bookironylayer Change image and share on social
When I was 13 or 14, I started devouring novels; literature took quite a while to take me over, but it caught up just in time to save me from becoming a mathematician. Mark Haddon catchdevourliterature Change image and share on social
Jane Austen was writing about boring people with desperately limited lives. We forget this because we've seen too many of her books on screen. Mark Haddon austenbookbore Change image and share on social
I've written 16 children's books and five unpublished novels. Some of the latter were breathtakingly bad. Mark Haddon badbookbreathtakingly Change image and share on social
I don't remember deciding to become a writer. You decide to become a dentist or a postman. For me, writing is like being gay. You finally admit that this is who you are, you come out and hope that no one runs away. Mark Haddon admitdecidedentist share on social
I always thought I'd eventually learn how to draw really well, and despite constant evidence to the contrary, I just kept on trying. If you're too good at anything, you don't have to think about the process, whereas I feel like I spend my life with my head under the bonnet, trying to understand how everything works. Mark Haddon bonnetconstantcontrary share on social
I started writing books for children because I could illustrate them myself and because, in my innocence, I thought they'd be easier. Mark Haddon bookchildeasy Change image and share on social