Appalling things can happen to children. And even a happy childhood is filled with sadnesses. Mark Haddon appallchildchildhood Change image and share on social
I think Britain has this tradition which suggests that if you make the readers laugh too much, you can't really be serious. Whereas, I think one of the functions laughter can perform in a book, as in life, is that it's a reaction to genuine horror. Mark Haddon bookbritainfunction share on social
Obviously I have a capacity for feeling extreme anxiety, and there are people out there who don't. I'm to some extent rather jealous of them. Mark Haddon anxietycapacityextent Change image and share on social
There's something with the physical size of America... American writers can write about America and it can still feel like a foreign country. Mark Haddon americaamericancountry Change image and share on social
I'm really lucky in that I can do lots of different things. It must be really hard to just be a poet or just be a novelist - a constant cycle of effort and exhaustion and recuperation. Mark Haddon constantcycleeffort Change image and share on social
If you came from Mars and tried to analyse British or American society through novels, you'd think our society was preponderantly full of middle-aged, slightly alcoholic, middle-class, intellectual men, most of whom are divorced from their families and have nothing to do with children. Mark Haddon agealcoholicamerican share on social
At 20, 25, 30, we begin to realise that the possibilities of escape are getting fewer. We have jobs, children, partners, debts. This is the part of us to which literary fiction speaks. Mark Haddon beginchilddebt Change image and share on social
I am atheist in a very religious mould. I'm always asking myself the big questions. Where did we come from? Is there a meaning to all of this? When I find myself in church, I edit the hymns as I sing them. Mark Haddon atheistbigchurch share on social
If kids like a picture book, they're going to read it at least 50 times, and their parents are going to have to read it with them. Read anything that often, and even minor imperfections start to feel like gravel in the bed. Mark Haddon bedbookfeel share on social
If you're trying to be a successful writer, and you go into a second-hand bookshop, it's the graveyard of people whose books haven't been wanted. Mark Haddon bookbookshopgraveyard Change image and share on social
