‘Language is like a cracked kettle on which we beat out tunes for bears to dance to, while all the time we long to move the stars to pity.’ – Gustave Flaubert

‘All that can be spelled out is without importance.’ – Zhou Zuoren

‘Writing is like driving a car at night. You can see as far as the headlights, but you make the whole trip that way.’ – E.L. Doctorow

‘I like to write when I feel spiteful: it’s like having a good sneeze.’ – D.H. Lawrence

‘Literature is simply the appropriate use of language.’ – Evelyn Waugh