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Wilbur Smith Quotes

Real men read my books Picture Quote #1

People don’t really know themselves until they’re 30. Like most people nowadays, I went to university, got a degree and wandered for a bit. I trained to be a chartered accountant, which I didn’t much enjoy, and it was only slowly that the idea of becoming a creative writer gelled Picture Quote #1

I wanted to be a great white hunter, a prospector for gold, or a slave trader. But then, when I was eight, my parents sent me to a boarding school in South Africa. It was the equivalent of a British public school with cold showers, beatings and rotten food. But what it also had was a library full of books Picture Quote #1

At the age of 12 I won the school prize for Best English Essay. The prize was a copy of Somerset Maugham’s ‘Introduction To Modern English And American Literature.’ To this day I keep it on the shelf between my collection of Forester’s works and the little urn that contains my mother’s ashes Picture Quote #1

Cape Town’s beaches are superb and while the water on the Atlantic side is damn cold, it’s very pleasant on the other side. Bring your golf clubs if you play - Cape Town has some fabulous golf courses Picture Quote #1

I read all of Rider Haggard’s books. For me he had the romance of Africa with a little bit of mysticism. I’m delighted to be looked on as his heir and be categorised as an adventure novelist because that’s exactly what I am Picture Quote #1

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Usually halfway through a book I have a serious depression, so I go on safari on my ranch in South Africa, or fishing off my island in the Seychelles. When I come back and re-read it, I think: ‘What was all that about, Smith? It’s fine, just get on with it.’ Picture Quote #1

You know that feeling when you finish a final exam and you think, ‘I never want to do that again’? Well I have the same feeling when I finish a novel. Each time I say, ‘I think I may retire now’ and then after six months the ideas start to churn again. I could never stop Picture Quote #1

The first novel I wrote was a monster - clocking in at 180,000 words - but it died a death, a death it deserved. It was called ‘The Gods First Make Mad.’ It was a good title, but it was the only good thing about the book. I didn’t let that put me off Picture Quote #1

Many people have compared me to the Victorian adventure writer, Rider Haggard. I accept that as a compliment. As a boy growing up in Central Africa I read all Haggard’s African novels Picture Quote #1

The whole structure of African government, as far back as we know, was based on tyranny. One guy ran the show. Chiefs like Chaka and Mzilikazi committed terrible atrocities. That is the tradition from which modern African rulers spring. It won’t change easily overnight Picture Quote #1

I’m not perfect and I know it. I’ve done all sorts of things that are frowned upon these days - big-game hunting, fishing. I still enjoy fishing but I don’t kill warm-blooded animals any more - I make an exception with birds sometimes Picture Quote #1

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Write for yourself, not for a perceived audience. If you do, you’ll mostly fall flat on your face, because it’s impossible to judge what people want. And you have to read. That’s how you learn what is good writing and what is bad. Then the main thing is application. It’s hard work Picture Quote #1

I don’t want children. Why should I let some strange little monster into my life to destroy what to me is a perfect set-up? Picture Quote #1

The mistake the apartheid government made was they gave the black people nothing, so they had nothing to lose. But now a lot of the former freedom-fighters are big-time capitalists. They’ve been given directorships in every major company. They’re billionaires! Picture Quote #1

I live in Cape Town but my favourite holiday destination is Hermanus, a little seaside town about a 90-minute drive away, over the pass and down to the sea, on the sunshine coast. It’s where I love to escape to with my wife for a weekend every now and again Picture Quote #1

For the past few years my fans have made it very clear that they would like to read my novels and revisit my family of characters faster than I can write them. For them, I am willing to make a change to my working methods so the stories in my head can reach the page more frequently Picture Quote #1

I’m a feminist. The women in my books in recent years have been powerful characters and I love to see a woman with a cute bottom walking past Picture Quote #1

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I have done everything I have ever wanted to do. I have swum with tiger sharks, been charged by lions and elephants. I have been shot three times, chased by crocodiles and, God be praised, I’ve made enough money that I can continue to do all the things I want to for as long as I am able Picture Quote #1

I don’t know how many lions and leopards I’ve shot. I’ve shot two elephants, which was enough - never again. It’s a melancholy and moving thing to hunt an elephant. It’s like shooting an old man Picture Quote #1

I believe that a healthy body breeds a healthy mind. I am 74 years old now and my wife, Niso, is 38 years younger than me. She absolutely insists that I take regular exercise with her Picture Quote #1

As regards to personal safety, you do have to be careful not to put yourself at risk when travelling in South Africa. You don’t want to go out exploring at night, for example Picture Quote #1

My mother-in-law speaks not a word of English. I speak not a word of Tajiki. So I smile at her ingratiatingly and she fixes me with a beady eye Picture Quote #1

I’m not a good father and they’re not children any more; the eldest is in his fifties. My relationship with their mothers broke down and, because of what the law was, they went with their mothers and were imbued with their mothers’ morality in life and they were not my people any more Picture Quote #1

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Literature throws us many great heroes. Real life invariably outdoes them Picture Quote #1

I hate politics. I like to write about it, but to get involved in it, to try and make a lot of ignorant people do what you want them to do, waste of time. Go and write a book. It’s more important and it’ll last longer Picture Quote #1

Every time one of my books sells a million copies in paperback, Pan Macmillan gives me a gold statuette of Pan. I have about 20 of them Picture Quote #1

I go on a hunting safari at least once a year to Botswana, which is fantastic because we have a huge area of wilderness entirely to ourselves. My island covers roughly 55 acres, which again I have to myself, with nearly half a kilometre of private beach with my own jetties and boats Picture Quote #1

Quite frankly, I think political correctness is the worst form of censorship. You’re not allowed to speak your mind unless you’re black, or unless you’re a terrorist, or unless you’re an Arab or a minority people. Then you can say what you like. But if you are like a lot of us you are not supposed to say certain things Picture Quote #1

There’s nothing so aphrodisiacal for a woman as money and success Picture Quote #1

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Friendship Quotes

Motivational Quotes

Inspirational Quotes

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Text Quotes

Real men read my books (Wilbur Smith Quotes) People don’t really know themselves until they’re 30. Like most people nowadays, I went to university, got a degree and wandered for a bit. I trained to be a chartered accountant, which I didn’t much enjoy, and it was only slowly that the idea of becoming a creative writer gelled. (Wilbur Smith Quotes) I wanted to be a great white hunter, a prospector for gold, or a slave trader. But then, when I was eight, my parents sent me to a boarding school in South Africa. It was the equivalent of a British public school with cold showers, beatings and rotten food. But what it also had was a library full of books (Wilbur Smith Quotes) At the age of 12 I won the school prize for Best English Essay. The prize was a copy of Somerset Maugham’s ‘Introduction To Modern English And American Literature.’ To this day I keep it on the shelf between my collection of Forester’s works and the little urn that contains my mother’s ashes (Wilbur Smith Quotes) Cape Town’s beaches are superb and while the water on the Atlantic side is damn cold, it’s very pleasant on the other side. Bring your golf clubs if you play - Cape Town has some fabulous golf courses (Wilbur Smith Quotes) I read all of Rider Haggard’s books. For me he had the romance of Africa with a little bit of mysticism. I’m delighted to be looked on as his heir and be categorised as an adventure novelist because that’s exactly what I am (Wilbur Smith Quotes) Usually halfway through a book I have a serious depression, so I go on safari on my ranch in South Africa, or fishing off my island in the Seychelles. When I come back and re-read it, I think: ‘What was all that about, Smith? It’s fine, just get on with it.’ (Wilbur Smith Quotes) You know that feeling when you finish a final exam and you think, ‘I never want to do that again’? Well I have the same feeling when I finish a novel. Each time I say, ‘I think I may retire now’ and then after six months the ideas start to churn again. I could never stop (Wilbur Smith Quotes) The first novel I wrote was a monster - clocking in at 180,000 words - but it died a death, a death it deserved. It was called ‘The Gods First Make Mad.’ It was a good title, but it was the only good thing about the book. I didn’t let that put me off (Wilbur Smith Quotes) Many people have compared me to the Victorian adventure writer, Rider Haggard. I accept that as a compliment. As a boy growing up in Central Africa I read all Haggard’s African novels (Wilbur Smith Quotes) The whole structure of African government, as far back as we know, was based on tyranny. One guy ran the show. Chiefs like Chaka and Mzilikazi committed terrible atrocities. That is the tradition from which modern African rulers spring. It won’t change easily overnight. (Wilbur Smith Quotes) I’m not perfect and I know it. I’ve done all sorts of things that are frowned upon these days - big-game hunting, fishing. I still enjoy fishing but I don’t kill warm-blooded animals any more - I make an exception with birds sometimes. (Wilbur Smith Quotes) Write for yourself, not for a perceived audience. If you do, you’ll mostly fall flat on your face, because it’s impossible to judge what people want. And you have to read. That’s how you learn what is good writing and what is bad. Then the main thing is application. It’s hard work. (Wilbur Smith Quotes) I don’t want children. Why should I let some strange little monster into my life to destroy what to me is a perfect set-up? (Wilbur Smith Quotes) The mistake the apartheid government made was they gave the black people nothing, so they had nothing to lose. But now a lot of the former freedom-fighters are big-time capitalists. They’ve been given directorships in every major company. They’re billionaires! (Wilbur Smith Quotes) I live in Cape Town but my favourite holiday destination is Hermanus, a little seaside town about a 90-minute drive away, over the pass and down to the sea, on the sunshine coast. It’s where I love to escape to with my wife for a weekend every now and again. (Wilbur Smith Quotes) For the past few years my fans have made it very clear that they would like to read my novels and revisit my family of characters faster than I can write them. For them, I am willing to make a change to my working methods so the stories in my head can reach the page more frequently. (Wilbur Smith Quotes) I’m a feminist. The women in my books in recent years have been powerful characters and I love to see a woman with a cute bottom walking past. (Wilbur Smith Quotes) I have done everything I have ever wanted to do. I have swum with tiger sharks, been charged by lions and elephants. I have been shot three times, chased by crocodiles and, God be praised, I’ve made enough money that I can continue to do all the things I want to for as long as I am able. (Wilbur Smith Quotes) I don’t know how many lions and leopards I’ve shot. I’ve shot two elephants, which was enough - never again. It’s a melancholy and moving thing to hunt an elephant. It’s like shooting an old man. (Wilbur Smith Quotes) I believe that a healthy body breeds a healthy mind. I am 74 years old now and my wife, Niso, is 38 years younger than me. She absolutely insists that I take regular exercise with her. (Wilbur Smith Quotes) As regards to personal safety, you do have to be careful not to put yourself at risk when travelling in South Africa. You don’t want to go out exploring at night, for example. (Wilbur Smith Quotes) My mother-in-law speaks not a word of English. I speak not a word of Tajiki. So I smile at her ingratiatingly and she fixes me with a beady eye. (Wilbur Smith Quotes) I’m not a good father and they’re not children any more; the eldest is in his fifties. My relationship with their mothers broke down and, because of what the law was, they went with their mothers and were imbued with their mothers’ morality in life and they were not my people any more. (Wilbur Smith Quotes) Literature throws us many great heroes. Real life invariably outdoes them. (Wilbur Smith Quotes) I hate politics. I like to write about it, but to get involved in it, to try and make a lot of ignorant people do what you want them to do, waste of time. Go and write a book. It’s more important and it’ll last longer. (Wilbur Smith Quotes) Every time one of my books sells a million copies in paperback, Pan Macmillan gives me a gold statuette of Pan. I have about 20 of them (Wilbur Smith Quotes) I go on a hunting safari at least once a year to Botswana, which is fantastic because we have a huge area of wilderness entirely to ourselves. My island covers roughly 55 acres, which again I have to myself, with nearly half a kilometre of private beach with my own jetties and boats (Wilbur Smith Quotes) Quite frankly, I think political correctness is the worst form of censorship. You’re not allowed to speak your mind unless you’re black, or unless you’re a terrorist, or unless you’re an Arab or a minority people. Then you can say what you like. But if you are like a lot of us you are not supposed to say certain things (Wilbur Smith Quotes) There’s nothing so aphrodisiacal for a woman as money and success (Wilbur Smith Quotes)

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