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" Trinidad's language is a fusion of English, African, and French, and so we have our own words and even our own dictionary. Steupse is a common local word, and it's the onomatopoeic word for the sound people make to show disapproval, or to show they are vexed, when they suck their teeth together. "

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" Born on an island, I could swim before I could walk, thrown many times into swimming pools and warm transparent Caribbean waters: sink or swim, that was my first lesson. While I'm not a natural athlete, I'm still a strong swimmer and feel a great affinity with the sea. "

Monique Roffey

Walk

Strong

Swimming

" All my books explore fatherhood. I look at what it means to have a big father figure at the centre: sometimes they're a good father, sometimes bad. "

" The romantic idealism of my youth has been replaced with realism and hard work at what I love. "

" At the age of 62, my father died of cancer - it was much too soon. My mother never remarried or got over it, never even thought of another man. "

" New Year's Eve is not about having a big party for me. It's a time of reflection, and I often go on spiritual retreats. "

Monique Roffey

Spiritual

Reflection

" What I always knew about my parents was that they were in love, and this love had a fizz. It was exciting to be their child, to be around them. There was a dynamism between them, a charge. "

" I made myself unhappy measuring my love against a given norm. The truth is, we make ourselves happy in among a wide variety of loves; all count. "

" Long-term heterosexual monogamy is still the dominant model: men and women still want to pair for a long period of time. "

" While I am most at home in London, I cannot really label myself as either British or Trinidadian. I write in the English language and live in the U.K. I find it hard to say that I am an entirely British writer, especially when I supported Trinidad in the 2006 World Cup and also support the West Indies cricket team. "

" Apart from writing books, my 40s have been about pursuing personal growth. Whatever were the mistakes of my earlier life, I've been committed to a pause, a regroup. I don't want to make the same mistakes in the future. "

" The person I love most is the Dalai Lama. China destroyed his country, yet he says that it's imperative we show love for the Chinese. "

" My parents had a long and eventful marriage and were always a bit like movie stars to me when they were young. "

Monique Roffey

Stars

Long

" I talk to myself. It's my worst habit. I often muse aloud, or, when people drive me crazy, I curse them aloud. I might do a ranting monologue about how pissed off I am about them, occasionally forgetting that they might still be in the room; now, that's weird! "

Monique Roffey

Crazy

Habit

" Trinidadians love speaking their own English; it's full of poetic forms and can be playful and lyrical and comical. Trinidadians are verbal acrobats, and I love being on the island just to hear the people speak. "