It's only a drawback in the States, where most people seem to have no real interest in other countries and the notion of a novel which might offer insight into life in the UK doesn't seem to appeal very widely.

The criminalization of marijuana did not prevent marijuana from becoming the most widely used illegal substance in the United States and many other countries. But it did result in extensive costs and negative consequences.

As publishers focus on blockbusters, they steadily lose interest in little-known authors from other countries.

The biggest markets for my books outside the UK are France and Italy, and those are the two countries where I also have the closest personal relationships with my translators - I don't know whether that's a coincidence, or if there's something to be learned from it.

India has 2,000,000 gods and worships them all. In religion, all other countries are paupers; India is the only millionaire.

Basically, people in other countries don't want to have to work quite as flat-out as they do in Japan.