Cervantes is the most important Spanish writer. But he is not the most representative of the Spanish. His irony, his sense of humor - they are too subtle to seem Spanish.

A few British suffragettes everybody laughed at started the cause of equality between men and women.

There are two types of stories: public and private.

I have spent a great deal of my life being part of minorities. Some of the people I admire the most in the world have had the courage to defend, against wind and tide, minority viewpoints in those frightening times when any disagreement with universal conformity is identified as treason.

Here in Spain, there are Argentine Jews, children and grandchildren of immigrants of Jews who fled Germany or Austria in the thirties, and in the seventies during the dictatorship, they had to go into exile again.

Nothing good ever happens by itself - it is achieved through striving, though this sometimes bears a high price.

As a writer, you live in permanent self-doubt youre on permanent trial.

I have absolute respect for Israel and people in Israel who are critical of their own country.