The writer interweaves a story with his own doubts, questions, and values. That is art.

You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers. You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions.

It is simply not part of my culture to preserve notes. I have never heard of a writer preserving his early drafts.

I was a government employee in the morning and a writer in the evening.

Events at home, at work, in the street - these are the bases for a story.

Hosni Mubarak... his constitution is not democratic, but he is democratic. We can voice our opinions now. The press is free.