144 Quotes by Michael Morpurgo

Don’t worry about writing a book or getting famous or making money. Just lead an interesting life.

Admitting failure is quite cleansing, but never – pleasurable.

Everyone is interested in war, in that people don’t want it to happen. I’m much more interested in peace than in war but it’s important to understand why we fight.

It’s what I’ll be singing in the morning. It won’t be God Save the Ruddy King or All Things bleeding Bright and Beautiful. It’ll be Orange and Lemons for Big Joe, for all of us.

A lot of children, like I did, move away from words because of the fear – which is something you have to take out of education: the fear of worrying about what marks you’ll get, detention, worrying about letting people down, your parents, teachers.

I think I have always had a strong sense of justice, of fair play, of what is right and what is wrong.

There’s a nobility in his eye, a regal serenity about him. Does he not personify all that men try to be and never can be?

I was never a great reader, but there were two stories I loved best: Kipling’s The Elephant’s Child and The Jungle Book. Deep down, I’ve always wanted to write a book about a wild child and an elephant.

That’s what sailing is, a dance, and your partner is the sea. And with the sea you never take liberties. You ask her, you don’t tell her. You have to remember always that she’s the leader, not you. You and your boat are dancing to her tune.