Kate Atkinson Quotes

A collection of quotes by Kate Atkinson.

Kate Atkinson is a highly esteemed British author renowned for her literary fiction and crime novels. She was born on December 20, 1951, in York, England. Atkinson attended the University of Dundee, where she studied English literature, and then pursued a master's degree in English from Dundee.

Her writing career gained critical acclaim with the release of her debut novel, "Behind the Scenes at the Museum" in 1995. This remarkable work, showcasing Atkinson's unique storytelling style, won the prestigious Whitbread Book of the Year award and marked the beginning of her success in the literary world.

Atkinson's ingenious blend of genres is evident in her bestselling crime series featuring detective Jackson Brodie. The first installment, "Case Histories," was published in 2004 and received widespread recognition, ultimately leading to its adaptation into a successful television series.

Throughout her career, Atkinson has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Costa Book Award for her novel "Life After Life" in 2013. Her writing is characterized by its intricacy, clever narratives, and deep exploration of human nature.

Regarded as one of the most accomplished contemporary British authors, Kate Atkinson continues to captivate readers worldwide with her thought-provoking and beautifully written works.

They said love made you strong, but in Louise's opinion it m

They said love made you strong, but in Louise's opinion it made you weak. It corkscrewed into your heart and you couldn't get it out again, not without ripping your heart to pieces.

Love Weakness

When I'm writing, my neural pathways get blocked. I can't re

When I'm writing, my neural pathways get blocked. I can't read. I can barely hold a conversation without forgetting words and names. I wish I could wear the same clothes and eat the same food each day.

Food

My father was an autodidact. It wasn't a middle-class house.

My father was an autodidact. It wasn't a middle-class house. Shopkeepers are aspirant. He paid for me to go to private school. He was denied an education - he had a horrible childhood. He got a place at a grammar school and wasn't allowed to go.

Education

The cult of the individual is killing us. I think Twitter si

The cult of the individual is killing us. I think Twitter signals the death of western civilisation, but people have been saying that since Demosthenes.

Death

I think about death a lot, I really do, because I can't beli

I think about death a lot, I really do, because I can't believe I won't exist. It's the ego isn't it? I feel that I should retreat into a better form of Zen Buddhism than this kind of ego-dominated thing. But I don't know, I mean, I want to come back as a tree but I suspect that it's just not going to happen, is it?

Death

Life is a very orderly thing, but in fiction there is a huge

Life is a very orderly thing, but in fiction there is a huge liberation and freedom. I can do what I like. There's nothing that says I can't write a page of full stops. There is no 'should' involved, although you wouldn't know that from literary reviews and critics.

Freedom

I'm a lapsed Quaker. I don't go to meetings any more. But I'

I'm a lapsed Quaker. I don't go to meetings any more. But I'm very drawn to Catholicism - all that glitter. I'd love to be a Catholic. I think it would be fantastic - faith, forgiveness, absolution, extreme unction - all these wonderful words. I don't think anyone who was ever born a Catholic hasn't died a Catholic, no matter how lapsed they are.

Faith

Fairy tales opened up a door into my imagination - they don'

Fairy tales opened up a door into my imagination - they don't conform to the reality that's around you as a child. I started reading when I was three and read everything, but I wanted to be an actress.

Imagination