7 Quotes & Sayings By Naomi Alderman

Naomi Alderman is a British writer who lives in London. Her debut novel, The Power, won the Waterstones Book of the Year Award 2017. Her second novel, The Liar's Key, was published by Random House in October 2015. Her work has been published in many countries, including the UK, South Africa, the US and Australia Read more

Naomi is a contributor to NME magazine and has written for the Guardian, The New York Times, The Sunday Times Magazine and elsewhere. She is also a contributor to BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour.

1
The thing about the Lexington International Bank ladder was that it was very long, and climbing it was very exhausting, and so Andrew Brown didn't have a lot of time to think about whether he really wanted to get to the top of it–and besides, since so many other people were climbing too, the view from the top must be worth it. So he kept going. He worked hard. He put his heart and mind and soul into it. There was an opening for a position half a rung higher than he already was. With a promotion, he might get two hours a week of a secretary's time. He'd go to more important meetings, with more senior people, and have the opportunity to impress them, and if he did he might be promoted again and then.. well, of course eventually he'd be running the whole office. It's important to have a dream: otherwise you might notice where you really are. Naomi Alderman
2
One of them says, 'Why did they do it?' And the other answers, 'Because they could.' That is the only answer there ever is. Naomi Alderman
3
Nothing special has happened today; no one can say she was more provoked than usual. It is only that every day one grows a little, every day something is different, so that in the heaping up of days suddenly a thing that was impossible has become possible. This is how a girl becomes a grown woman. Step by step until it is done. Naomi Alderman
4
Gender is a shell game. What is a man? Whatever a woman isn't. What is a woman? Whatever a man is not, Tap on it and it's hollow. Look under the shells: it's not there. Naomi Alderman
5
He feels excited. He feels ashamed. He wants to talk to her, but he is afraid. Maybe he imagined it all. Maybe she will call him a bad name if he asks her what happened. Naomi Alderman
6
It is a terrible, wretched thing to love someone whom you know cannot love you. There are things that are more dreadful. There are many human pains more grievous. And yet it remains both terrible and wretched. Like so many things, it is insoluble. Naomi Alderman