I don't in any sense think of myself as a celebrity, which of course I'm not. Peter Ackroyd celebritysense Change image and share on social
There are so many characters whizzing around inside my head, it's like Looney Tunes. But as soon as I've finished writing about them, I completely forget who they are. Peter Ackroyd charactercompletelyfinish Change image and share on social
I detest self-regard. If my work has taught me anything, it is that self-aggrandisement is completely unhistorical. Peter Ackroyd aggrandisementcompletelydetest Change image and share on social
Thomas More rarely discussed his siblings, and two of them are never mentioned by him. It is likely that they were part of that infant mortality which had provoked such concern for early baptism. Peter Ackroyd baptismconcerndiscuss Change image and share on social
I saw a ghost once, about 20 years ago. It took the form of someone coming out of a sleeping body and sitting at the foot of the bed. Peter Ackroyd agobedbody Change image and share on social
It sometimes seems to me that the whole course of English history was one of accident, confusion, chance and unintended consequences - there's no real pattern. Peter Ackroyd accidentchanceconfusion Change image and share on social
I enjoyed reading and learning at school, and at university I enjoyed extending my reading and learning. Once I left Cambridge, I went to Yale as a fellow. I spent two years there. After that, George Gale made me literary editor of 'The Spectator.' Peter Ackroyd cambridgeeditorenjoy share on social
If I did only one thing at a time I'd think I was wasting my time. If, for example, I only wrote novels I would feel like a charlatan and a fraud. Peter Ackroyd charlatanfeelfraud Change image and share on social
In 'The Plato Papers' I wanted to get another perspective on the present moment by extrapolating into the distant future. So in that sense, there's a definite similarity of purpose between a book set in the future and a book set in the past. Peter Ackroyd bookdefinitedistant share on social
People are much more interesting than people realise. Peter Ackroyd interestpeoplerealise Change image and share on social
