David Hewson

“Romney Marsh remains one of the last great wildernesses of south-east England. Flat as a desert, and at times just as daunting, it is an odd, occasionally eerie wetland straddling the coastal borders of Kent and Sussex, rich in birds, local folklore and solitary medieval churches.”

“The path from Hythe leads, for a little while, along the line of the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch railway, whose 15in-gauge steam trains run throughout the year from Hythe to Dungeness.”

“The bronze dwarfs give you the first clue that Wroclaw is no ordinary city. They lurk all over the place, carousing outside pubs, snoring at the doors of hotels, peeking out from behind the bars of the old city jail.”

“Stand outside De Eland, on the Berenstraat Bridge over the Prinsengracht, and you see what real Amsterdam life is like.”

“Tomorrow and tomorrow come creeping in and always will. We're fools trapped in a mechanism of our own unconscious making. Shadows strutting and fretting for one brief hour upon a stage, then heard no more. I'll weep an ocean in my heart, if the world would give me time. But not now.”

“Lympne Castle opens its doors to visitors during the summer only. It is privately owned, and more an interesting medieval manor than a castle.”

“Low light demanded 'fast' film, usually ISO 400 or higher; the fastest available would be about ISO 1000. When the sun was bright, you would reach for ISO 64 to avoid the burned-out look of overexposure.”

“In London, the home of the quick deal is that outer ring of the seven circles of hell, Tottenham Court Road, where, as a rule, finding something with an advertised price is as likely as spotting a mermaid under Vauxhall Bridge.”

“Alfriston is a compact village set around a rather traffic-weary High Street, mainly of old, timbered buildings. The principal sights lie to the east on the river side.”

“The truth about the Costa del Sol is that what endures, what is worthwhile, is what is Spanish.”

“In the world of crime novels, the annual Audible Sounds of Crime awards are a pretty big deal, and I was thrilled to be shortlisted for my fifth novel in my bestselling Nic Costa series.”

“Historic Amsterdam, that old part you first see when you turn up at Centraal Station, may have its monuments, but it's also the most tawdry and overcrowded part of the city.”

“Although I'm deaf in only my left ear, when there is noise all around, I'm unable to distinguish sounds and can't hear anything.”

“Viral infections, such as mumps, rubella and meningitis, cause inflammation of the inner ear or auditory nerve, resulting in permanent damage.”

“I want to do more audio originals because I think that it is a fascinating medium. If you think about it, this is original storytelling.”

“There are no secrets.' The thing smiled, showing a row of even, childlike teeth. 'None worth keeping. Only the ones you hide from yourself, which are the most damaging and hurtful of all. Truth is truth, and lie is lie. Tell yourself one's the other and all the world turns kilter.”

“Scripts are very different to books. They are blueprints for building, not the building.”

“Nobody strikes a medal for the Royal Military Canal campaign any more, but a pint in the back bar of the ancient Mermaid Inn, perched in front of one of the biggest and oldest inglenooks you're ever likely to see, is its own reward.”

“I just love doing different things, which is what being a working author is like.”

“I think there is this huge hole in Shakespeare that you do not know why Macbeth is who he is.”