In 1982 I interviewed Mary Norton, author of the Borrowers books, only to discover my tape recorder had malfunctioned and nothing was recorded. But I've just found the notebook in which I wrote as we spoke. She told me the idea of the Borrowers was rooted in her childhood.

"I was very short-sighted. I had four brothers and when we went for walks they used to grumble at me because I couldn’t see birds at a distance, but I loved looking down into banks, roots, little sandy holes, ponds.

I often used to imagine what it would be like

to be about that high, and you’d live in this strange forest.

I used to look at everything so closely.

When I was ill in bed I used to wonder what it would be like for them in the house.

I had a great fellow feeling for the Borrowers."