Sophie Dahl

“When I was a child, I named my rabbit Pancake and my guinea pig Maple Syrup.”

“I think that if you really love a book, there's nothing nicer than to have a first edition of it.”

“I have always been tall. When I was five, I towered above all the boys in my class, so it is something I have grown up with.”

“My childhood was such an odd one, but with such magic, and the quirky grown-ups who were in it managed to still bring a huge sense of love and magic, so for that I'm really grateful.”

“I remember being home alone when I was about 13 and making a souffle from a recipe in one of my mother's old cookbooks. I approached it in a very unafraid way, and produced a rather beautiful one.”

“My siblings and I had a loving but very chaotic and muddled childhood, and as a result we have sought out lives that are consistent and stable, domestic and happy.”

“I am not ashamed to admit that I'm wearing Yves Saint Laurent from top to toe.”

“I can't eat at all when I get sad; all I want is soup and easy-to-swallow baby food and, of all things, jelly babies.”

“I've started to read more factual books, partly because I didn't go to university.”

“It's nice being married to someone who likes to read because you can indulge in geeky conversations about books.”

“I'm a great believer in fairy tales. I think it is important to have something you can lose yourself in.”

“To my detriment I'm quite rosy-visioned about the idea of love. It's slightly embarrassing but it's part of who I am.”

“Starving isn't sexy. What's sexy is a healthy appreciation for food.”

“I have nothing against a good facelift.”

“I get asked about my weight endlessly. There is no story. It doesn't merit so much talk.”

“My relationship with food has always been uncomplicated.”

“For me cooking is a pleasure, it's a relaxing thing.”

“I should be allowed to be voluptuous or scrawny of my own volition, without people going on about it.”

“I was lucky because my upbringing was so eccentric. It has helped me cope with unreal situations.”

“My cooking is incredibly haphazard, but I've never pretended it was anything else.”