--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I don't think they [contemporary writers]…" description: "\"I don't think they [contemporary writers] read me either. I mean, if we're concerned genuinely with writing, I think we probably get on with our work.\"..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c30/william-golding-1233_concerned_i-don-t-think-they-contemporary-writers_991931.png" --- # I don't think they \[contemporary writers\] read me either… ![“I don't think they [contemporary writers] read me either. I mean, if we're concerned genuinely with writing, I think we probably get on with our work.” quote by William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c30/william-golding-1233_concerned_i-don-t-think-they-contemporary-writers_991931.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c30/william-golding-1233_concerned_i-don-t-think-they-contemporary-writers_991931.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c30/william-golding-1233_concerned_i-don-t-think-they-contemporary-writers_991931.png) > “I don't think they \[contemporary writers\] read me either. I mean, if we're concerned genuinely with writing, I think we probably get on with our work.” [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He suggests that contemporary writers may not read his work, but true writers focus on their own craft regardless of others' attention. **In simple terms:** Writers should concentrate on their work, not on being read. Key Takeaway Prioritize creation over validation. Themes writing creativity focus Mood reflective thoughtful Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - Literary workshops - personal writing practice - publishing decisions Key Concepts Literary criticism authorial intent Questions to Reflect On - How does ignoring readership affect artistic development? - Is isolation from peers beneficial? A Different Perspective Neglecting audience feedback can limit growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writers/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I mean, if we're concerned genuinely with writing, I think we probably get on with our work. I think this is very true of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/i-mean-if-we-re-concerned-genuinely-with-writing-i-think-we-probably/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [Much more than a 20th-century village storyteller, Cees Nooteboom stands as an impressive and inimitable voice among contemporary writers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-simon/much-more-than-a-20th-century-village-storyteller-cees-nooteboom/) Linda Simon > [I couldn't choose a favourite author, but two contemporary writers who have never disappointed me are Tim Winton and Alice Munro.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariella-frostrup/i-couldn-t-choose-a-favourite-author-but-two-contemporary-writers-who/) [Mariella Frostrup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariella-frostrup/) > [Honestly, I haven't the time to read contemporary writers. I know this is awful, but in the main it is true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/honestly-i-haven-t-the-time-to-read-contemporary-writers-i-know-this/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [With contemporary writers, I often buy books and then realise I've bought them before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/prue-leith/with-contemporary-writers-i-often-buy-books-and-then-realise-i-ve/) [Prue Leith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/prue-leith/) > [For any writers at all, read everything you can and then put your butt in the chair and write. That's all there is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/for-any-writers-at-all-read-everything-you-can-and-then-put-your-butt/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [“It's always difficult when people compare me unfavorably with other contemporary writers. It's much easier when they use examples from earlier eras of fiction.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tad-williams/it-s-always-difficult-when-people-compare-me-unfavorably-with-other/) [Tad Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tad-williams/) > [“Frank's bio prompts us to to ask ourselves why we seem to require of our art an ironic distance from deep convictions or desperate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/frank-s-bio-prompts-us-to-to-ask-ourselves-why-we-seem-to-require-of/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [Not that many people, even contemporary writers, write about right now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-deavere-smith/not-that-many-people-even-contemporary-writers-write-about-right-now/) [Anna Deavere Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-deavere-smith/) > [I've had a somewhat typical experience in that many of the contemporary writers I was exposed to early on were white and often male.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-van-den-berg/i-ve-had-a-somewhat-typical-experience-in-that-many-of-the/) [Laura van den Berg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-van-den-berg/) > [Jim Harrison is someone I always enjoy, one of the great contemporary writers. I like Tim Ferris' Big Boom Theory. I'm getting into a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hunter-s-thompson/jim-harrison-is-someone-i-always-enjoy-one-of-the-great-contemporary/) [Hunter S. Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hunter-s-thompson/) > [I don't think contemporary writers spend a lot of time reading each other. Particularly writers of the same nationality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/i-don-t-think-contemporary-writers-spend-a-lot-of-time-reading-each/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [The two contemporary writers whom I consider as role models are Janet Malcolm and Michael Lewis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-two-contemporary-writers-whom-i-consider-as-role-models-are-janet/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [Writers read essays and serious thinkers and serious readers... that is a small population.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-lightman/writers-read-essays-and-serious-thinkers-and-serious-readers-that-is/) [Alan Lightman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-lightman/) > [“Best advice to writers - Read, write, read, write - repeat!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilly-cain/best-advice-to-writers-read-write-read-write-repeat/) Lilly Cain ## More by William Golding > [Heaven lies around us in our infancy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/heaven-lies-around-us-in-our-infancy/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [“Sucks to your ass-mar!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/sucks-to-your-ass-mar/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man's heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/ralph-wept-for-the-end-of-innocence-the-darkness-of-man-s-heart-and/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [“Once more, amid the breeze, the shouting, the slanting sunlight on the high mountain, was shed that glamour, that strange invisible light of friendship,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/once-more-amid-the-breeze-the-shouting-the-slanting-sunlight-on-the/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [“There ought to be some mode of life where all love is good, where one love can't compete with another but adds to it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/there-ought-to-be-some-mode-of-life-where-all-love-is-good-where-one/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [His mind was crowded with memories; memories of the knowledge that had come to them when they closed in on the struggling pig, knowledge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/his-mind-was-crowded-with-memories-memories-of-the-knowledge-that-had/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [“I stood, in shame and confusion, seeing for the first time despite my anger a different picture of Evie in her life-long struggle to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/i-stood-in-shame-and-confusion-seeing-for-the-first-time-despite-my/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [When you take a child who's hollering like hell, sit him on your knee, and say "once upon a time", you stop him hollering.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/when-you-take-a-child-who-s-hollering-like-hell-sit-him-on-your-knee/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [I am here; and here is nowhere in particular.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/i-am-here-and-here-is-nowhere-in-particular/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [The beast was harmless and horrible; and the news must reach the others as soon as possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/the-beast-was-harmless-and-horrible-and-the-news-must-reach-the/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [“He tried to convey the compulsion to track down and kill that was swallowing him up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/he-tried-to-convey-the-compulsion-to-track-down-and-kill-that-was/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [I'm scared of him," said Piggy, "and that's why I know him. If you're scared of someone you hate him but you can't stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/i-m-scared-of-him-said-piggy-and-that-s-why-i-know-him-if-you-re/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [The trouble was, if you were a chief you had to think, you had to be wise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/the-trouble-was-if-you-were-a-chief-you-had-to-think-you-had-to-be/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [“But nobody else understands about the fire. If someone threw you a rope when you were drowning. If a doctor said take this because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/but-nobody-else-understands-about-the-fire-if-someone-threw-you-a/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [“I think women are foolish to pretend that they are equal to men, they are far superior and always have been.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/i-think-women-are-foolish-to-pretend-that-they-are-equal-to-men-they/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) [Explore all 263 William Golding quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) ## More Concerned quotes > [I don't think there's a direct correlation between my sexuality and my skiing ability. But I think because I was so concerned about it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-kenworthy/i-don-t-think-there-s-a-direct-correlation-between-my-sexuality-and/) [Gus Kenworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-kenworthy/) > [Right now we're concerned about budget. Right now we're concerned about the prospect of interest rate rise. We're concerned about government corruption, government handing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amity-shlaes/right-now-we-re-concerned-about-budget-right-now-we-re-concerned/) [Amity Shlaes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amity-shlaes/) > [As far as Im concerned, I didnt dream - ever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-sturgeon/as-far-as-im-concerned-i-didnt-dream-ever/) [Theodore Sturgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-sturgeon/) > [I am not the avant-garde. I am the artist who comes after the advancing guard. I am more concerned with continuity of ideas and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-oliveira/i-am-not-the-avant-garde-i-am-the-artist-who-comes-after-the/) [Nathan Oliveira](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-oliveira/) > [What I was concerned about when I wrote the 'Downward Spiral' record was being a self-centred destructive force. The point was tearing down everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trent-reznor/what-i-was-concerned-about-when-i-wrote-the-downward-spiral-record/) [Trent Reznor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trent-reznor/) > [Listening is a very active awareness of the coming together of at least two lives. Listening, as far as I'm concerned, is certainly a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/listening-is-a-very-active-awareness-of-the-coming-together-of-at/) [Fred Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/) > [I am no different from a lot of people. I am concerned for the future of my children and concerned for the future of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-barnes/i-am-no-different-from-a-lot-of-people-i-am-concerned-for-the-future/) [John Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-barnes/) > [As far as Japan is concerned, I want to help all of our allies, but we are losing billions and billions of dollars. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/as-far-as-japan-is-concerned-i-want-to-help-all-of-our-allies-but-we/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [The time has come when the whole world must be concerned about me. From now on, American Christianity must follow me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-myung-moon/the-time-has-come-when-the-whole-world-must-be-concerned-about-me/) [Sun Myung Moon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-myung-moon/) > [If you read 'Lord of the Rings' and dismiss it as a lie because it has orcs and elves, you're missing the whole point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-tennapel/if-you-read-lord-of-the-rings-and-dismiss-it-as-a-lie-because-it-has/) [Doug TenNapel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-tennapel/) > [Ideal for the child and society in the best of times, Rudolf Steiner's brilliant process of education is critically needed and profoundly relevant now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-chilton-pearce/ideal-for-the-child-and-society-in-the-best-of-times-rudolf-steiner-s/) [Joseph Chilton Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-chilton-pearce/) > [I feel like I won the Lotto, as far as that show's concerned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-gallagher/i-feel-like-i-won-the-lotto-as-far-as-that-show-s-concerned/) [Peter Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-gallagher/) > [I was strictly after hits when it came down to the Jackson 5. That's all I was concerned with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deke-richards/i-was-strictly-after-hits-when-it-came-down-to-the-jackson-5-that-s/) Deke Richards > [“Is something bothering you, Sam?” Nixon asked with a deep furrow between his concerned chocolate eyes. “You mean besides the dead body lying in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-t-dyllin/is-something-bothering-you-sam-nixon-asked-with-a-deep-furrow-between/) [D.T. Dyllin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-t-dyllin/) > [When I was in my teens I had a series of intensely religious experiences. They deepened my sense of God as the creator of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-linzey/when-i-was-in-my-teens-i-had-a-series-of-intensely-religious/) [Andrew Linzey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-linzey/) Browse all 3,551 Concerned quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I don't think they [contemporary writers] read me either. 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