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For me, the main principle for broadcasters has to be that if people stand to benefit from an interview, they should be prepared to face some downside as well.

I think one of the reasons that I got so good at it, as somebody making radio stories, is that on the radio I can actually - I can understand what's happening in the interview and can make a connection in a way that makes sense.

I like radio because you can do an hour-long interview and then three days later have a finished piece.

I do have a bit of a gravelly voice; people have told me I've got a good voice for radio.

I think anyone doing an interview is to some extent on show. And therefore, we always want to put on our best face.

This is the first lesson for writers - or anyone - who conducts interviews: If you want someone to talk, you've got to know how to listen. And good listening is a surprisingly active process. The interviewee is your focus of attention; you are there to hear what he says and thinks, exclusively.

I think good radio often uses the techniques of fiction: characters, scenes, a big urgent emotional question. And as in the best fiction, tone counts for a lot. But a lot of effective and interesting radio is based on one character who reacts to the world.

Radio voices have a solid, even texture.

I once did a three-hour interview with Radio Oxford only to be told the microphone hadn't picked me up.

So interviews are a valuable tool, but under certain circumstances they'd be more valuable than others.