Sian Pattenden

It's long, isn't it?

She's being told that she's not fitting in rather than doing what she wants.

Had she moved to London, she might have.

No one really cares.

You know, if you don't grow up, you don't grow up.

It doesn't really matter so much.

But I think New York is certainly a place where there are lots of...

You know, might look cool on one or two films, but there's a lot of societal pressure and you need to be in a certain space at a certain time in your life, have a certain amount of money, say in the status.

They're far more into status, I think, than we might be here.

Does she ever remind you of Nan Golden?

Because she reminds me of that, where Nan Golden is obviously of a generation before, but a real firebrand, but also was trying to fight the pharmaceutical industry as well through painkillers.

And an idea of having seen, and they are different, but having seen a New York, but still...

But very aware.

She's intuitive of how it's changing, how it's changing real lives and real people and people's sense of who they are.

You know, absolutely core issues just because a place has money in it.

You know, it's happened to London as well.

Yes, exactly.

And she has a very keen thing.

But in all of that writing, I don't get a sense of self-pity.

There's nothing mawkish about it or, oh, poor me.