Quotes are one of those serendipitous things, that infest every festival session. You forget to expect them, until they poke out of the conversation, like fireworks, showing off their intelligence, wit and subtlety with a style and a good measure of flamboyance.
Here are some of the top quotes of this year's Auckland Writers Festival - hand picked by festival angels Moata, Roberta and myself:
Laughter is crucial - it's like an orgasm of the mind. // Gloria Steinem
Even if love is not going to save anyone, we keep on doing it. It has no result in culture that is so result orientated. // Hanya Yanagihara
If one dream dies, I'm going to dream another dream and I'm going to dream it bigger. // Pettina Gappah
The trouble with a book is that you never know what's in it until it's too late. // Jeanette Winterson quoting her mother
My endings might be sad, but I like to think of them as authentic endings. // John Boyne
I've had the kind of happy childhood that's so damaging to a writer. // Thomas Mallon
In the story "The Princess and the Pea", I never wanted to be the princess. I wanted to be the pea - writing helped me do that. // Vivian Gornick
Characters of children's books need to be rebels. // Edward Carey
If you don't understand the book, read it again. If you still don't understand it, read again. If you still don't understand it, throw it away. // David Eggleton on importance of understanding a book when writing a book review
Most opinions are just emotions in fancy dress. // Joe Bennett
Assumptions are the mother of all stuff-ups. // Helene Wong
I have a brain tumour. I experience many unfamiliar and unreal moments. I am frequently unfamiliar even to myself. // Tusiata Avia
I could never see the distinction between Science and Art. Medicine is art to me. // Jean-Christophe Rufin
Creativity is a kind of anchoring. It is a lie detector which prevents us from living life in a blur. // Jeanette Winterson
Fancy some more? Read other blogs from Auckland Writers Festival and find your own favourite quote!
Find out more
- Find out more about the Auckland Writers Festival 2016
- Browse all our Auckland Writers Festival posts
- Read Masha, Moata and Roberta’s Auckland Writers Festival 2016 recommended booklist
- See photos from the Festival
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