Robert Harris

Politics is never a victory, it's just the remorseless grinding forward of events.

Cut your manuscript ruthlessly but never throw anything away: it's amazing how often a discarded scene or description, which wouldn't fit in one place, will work perfectly later.

Writers and journalists tend to be simplistic about politics when, like all other areas of life, it's more complicated.

I'm a huge Dallas Mavs fan. What I love about Dirk Nowitzki is he has just as much talent as everyone else, if not more, and he never toots his own horn. He's this silent warrior.

It's hard to imagine anyone interested in film not being a fan of Alfred Hitchcock because he's such a key influence on the entire history of cinema - it's hard to escape his shadow.

Every street in London has a camera, and if you ever travel up the M4, it feels as if George Orwell should be your chauffeur.