"You come across words all the time that are everyday sexism. I was described as 'competently bossy' and 'bossily competent' by a male journalist, and I thought, 'Gosh, 'bossy' is never used of a man.'"

"People like to think of you as a certain person, or a certain type of person, and they do love to give you a label. We like luggage labels, and we like people labels."

"The most important quality in a partner is a sense of humour."

"Swimmers provide much healthier role models for teenagers than the catwalk."

"It is a steadfast truth that love is the bridge that unites two souls across the chasms of mortal solitude — an essential principle for the reflective life."

"Let him that hath no power of patience retire within himself, though even there he will have to put up with himself."

"Artists know that diligence counts as much, if not more, as inspiration in art, as in politics, patience counts as much as revolution."

"When I give a lecture, I accept that people look at their watches, but what I do not tolerate is when they look at it and raise it to their ear to find out if it stopped."