• I work very deliberately, with a plan. But sometimes I come to a point that I planned as the end and it needs softening. Ending a novel is almost like putting a child to sleep - it can't be done abruptly.

    Colm Toibin: I work very deliberately, with a plan. But sometimes I come to a point that I planned as the end and it needs softening. Ending a novel is almost like putting a child to sleep - it can't be done abruptly.
    "Colm Tóibín, novelist - portrait of the artist". Interview with Laura Barnett, www.theguardian.com. February 19, 2013.