I always tell students that writing a poem and publishing it are two quite separate things, and you should write what you have to write, and if you're afraid it's going to upset someone, don't publish it.

In my case, the long gaps between my books have got quite a lot to do with lack of confidence. A lot of the time when I'm not writing I start thinking I can't do it.

I have a theory that if you've got the kind of parents who want to send you to boarding school, you're probably better off at boarding school.

Wendy Cope Quotes