Marry someone who flatters you. Because I've written 80 books since 'War Horse' but when my wife reads one, all she says is, 'It's quite good, but it's not as good as 'War Horse,' is it?' Michael Morpurgo bookflattergood Change image and share on social
You get to about 65 or 70 and you lose friends and the world does seem to be an endlessly difficult place and tragic place, so it's more and more difficult for me to find the bright lights. Michael Morpurgo brightdifficultendlessly Change image and share on social
When I write I try as far as possible to forget I'm writing it at all. I tell it down onto the page, as if I'm telling it to one person only, my best friend. Michael Morpurgo forgetfriendpage Change image and share on social
I was an overly young father, is the most polite way of putting it. I think I was rather immature and all I can say is that I think I've made a much better grandfather... I don't think I was ready to be a father to be honest. Michael Morpurgo fathergrandfatherhave share on social
When I was growing up in the Forties and Fifties, you could hide your children from the difficulties of life, but today you can't separate children's contact with the adult world today. Michael Morpurgo adultchildcontact Change image and share on social
War continues to divide people, to change them forever, and I write about it both because I want people to understand the absolute futility of war, the 'pity of war' as Wilfred Owen called it. Michael Morpurgo absolutecallchange Change image and share on social
With reading, I was very lucky. I had a mother who read to me, not because she had time - she was a busy woman - but she found 10 minutes to come and sit on my bed with a book. Michael Morpurgo bedbookbusy Change image and share on social
A notion for a story is for me a confluence of real events, historical perhaps, or from my own memory to create an exciting fusion. Michael Morpurgo confluencecreateevent Change image and share on social
Children have to be motivated to want to learn to read. Reading must not be taught simply as a school exercise. Michael Morpurgo childexerciselearn Change image and share on social
Much that is great in literature is an acquired taste, and you have to acquire it in the first place. Our job as parents is essentially to pass on the enthusiasm we had for the things we loved. That's how we'll get them to fall in love with reading in the first place and, hopefully, to stay in love with it. Michael Morpurgo acquireenthusiasmessentially share on social