I wanted to publish a book simply to be buried with it; that's all I wanted. I had no ambition beyond that.

I always loved to read, and I wanted to be part of the project of literature. My physical longevity is due to luck, and my literary longevity is due to my physical longevity.

There's no rule I want to break or ever wanted to break - I find the conventional life gratifying - as long as I can sit at my typewriter, alone, for half a day.

I wrote in the cellar for a number of years. I needed a private space, and it had a furnace, so it was always warm.

I was quite satisfied with my creative life. I've always had reinforcement from a small but devoted readership.

The market town of Cheltenham, in Gloucestershire, was a popular 19th - century English spa. Its mineral springs were supposed to be good for you. This was before the invention of bran. In the 20th century, Cheltenham grew into an active municipality.