I realised that I had always been writing things that other people wanted me to write and not what I really wanted to write, so I felt like I was losing my way.

I hadn’t realised what an institution ‘Doctor Who’ is.

I wanted to be a scientist. I did a thesis on lions. But I realised photography can show things writing can’t. Lions were my professor of photography.

I realised I’d never climb Everest but thought I could still write a book.