"A very powerful theme in fiction is that of loss." — Alexander McCall Smith

Baboons take a bit of getting to know but, apparently, once you break the ice, so to speak, they are complex and interesting creatures with elaborate societies.

There is this intimacy still in Botswana. It's a country of just under two million people, and there's this sense of connectedness, in that people tend to be related to one another.

I just focus on getting the first scene right, with a few lines about the overall plot, and then the book grows organically.

If you lose sight of the smaller accomplishments, you end up with an imbalance in your life.