Alan Garner Quotes, born October 17, 1934, in Congleton, Cheshire, England, is an acclaimed English novelist celebrated for his children’s fantasy novels and retellings of traditional British folk tales. His works, including The Weirdstone of Brisingamen (1960), The Owl Service (1967), and Treacle Walker (2021), are deeply rooted in the history, folklore, and dialect of his native Cheshire, earning him the Carnegie Medal and a Booker Prize shortlist. Garner’s storytelling blends myth, landscape, and human experience, creating timeless narratives that resonate across generations. These 15 quotes—sourced from his books, interviews, and public statements—reflect his insights on creativity, storytelling, and the interplay of myth and reality, capturing his profound connection to the human spirit and the land.
15 Alan Garner Quotes
- “She wants to be flowers, but you make her owls. You must not complain, then, if she goes hunting.” (The Owl Service, 1967)
- “The job of a storyteller is to speak the truth. But what we feel most deeply can’t be spoken in words alone. At this level, only images connect. And here, story becomes symbol; symbol is myth. And myth is truth.” (The Voice That Thunders, 1997)
- “I had never given much credence to the phenomenon of ‘writer’s block’. I was more inclined to think of it as ‘writer’s impatience’, and to follow Arthur Koestler’s dictum: ‘Soak; and wait.’” (The Voice That Thunders, 1997)
- “The thing that I was brought up to prize above everything else is the intellect. There is no problem that the intellect cannot solve, but it never had an original thought. Originality is the realm of the unconscious.” (Interview, BrainyQuote, n.d.)
- “My feeling is that writing is, for me, a pathological condition. That could sound like a mystical experience, and it may be a mystical experience, but I have learnt just to go with it.” (Interview, The Independent, 2010)
- “I love research so much that I do an enormous amount; it helps put off the moment of starting to write the story.” (Interview, BrainyQuote, n.d.)
- “If you are going to write, nothing will stop you, and if you are not going to write, nothing will make you.” (Interview, AZQuotes, n.d.)
- “I don’t think I’ve ever frightened myself before when writing, but there were areas where there was terror, as though I was looking into somewhere that I didn’t know existed before, and it frightened me.” (Interview, QuoteTab, n.d.)
- “My background is deep and set in deep time, and in a narrow space, oral traditions going back a long, long time, which I inherited by osmosis.” (Interview, The Guardian, 2007)
- “Everything I have ever written has been in the same chair, in the same room.” (Interview, AZQuotes, n.d.)
- “I loathe crowds. I especially don’t like cities. A city involves biomass. And biomass gets to me.” (Interview, BrainyQuote, n.d.)
- “You and I and everyone else are a bit like turtles: we only make progress when we stick our necks out a little.” (Conversationally Speaking: Tested New Ways to Increase Your Personal and Social Effectiveness, 1991)
- “The more I learn, the more I am convinced that there are no original stories.” (Alan Garner Classic Collection, 2016)
- “My great-grandfather was a self-taught man, and his library was extraordinary. I read the lot.” (Interview, BrainyQuote, n.d.)
- “All my novels are the result of academic method, that’s why they were so long in the writing. You’ve got to choose the right ingredients, put them into the still, and let them work.” (Interview, The Guardian, 2024)
Alan Garner’s quotes weave together myth, creativity, and a deep reverence for the stories that shape us, urging readers to embrace the mystery of life and the power of imagination. Which quote sparks your inner storyteller? Share it below and keep Garner’s Cheshire magic alive!
Emma Thompson
Hi, I'm Emma Thompson, founder of MyLittleDesire. I share relationship advice, love quotes, and thoughtful gift ideas to help you express your feelings and strengthen your bonds. Let's celebrate love together!
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