--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm always interested in the way people…" description: "\"I'm always interested in the way people speak and move in their environment, in a very particular environment. I'm never interested in writing a kind o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61f/zadie-smith-584_books_i-m-always-interested-in-the-way-people_2890496.png" --- # I'm always interested in the way people speak and move in… ![“I'm always interested in the way people speak and move in their environment, in a very particular environment. I'm never interested in writing a kind of neutral, universal novel that could be set anywhere. To me, the any novel is a local thing always.” quote by Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61f/zadie-smith-584_books_i-m-always-interested-in-the-way-people_2890496.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61f/zadie-smith-584_books_i-m-always-interested-in-the-way-people_2890496.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/61f/zadie-smith-584_books_i-m-always-interested-in-the-way-people_2890496.png) > “I'm always interested in the way people speak and move in their environment, in a very particular environment. I'm never interested in writing a kind of neutral, universal novel that could be set anywhere. To me, the any novel is a local thing always.” [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author prioritizes local specificity over universal narratives, believing novels should reflect distinct environments **In simple terms:** Novels should be rooted in their specific setting, not generic Key Takeaway Embrace local detail in storytelling Themes literature localism authenticity Mood reflective creative Type artistic theoretical When to use this quote - fiction writing - creative workshops - literary criticism - publishing decisions Key Concepts cultural context regional voice environmental influence Questions to Reflect On - How does specificity affect universal resonance? - Can a novel be both local and globally relatable? A Different Perspective Local focus may limit broader appeal ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Environment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/environment/) [Novel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/novel/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [I'm never interested in writing a kind of neutral, universal novel that could be set anywhere. 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The universal in the novel-and isn't that what we're all clamoring for these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-ellison/all-novels-are-about-certain-minorities-the-individual-is-a-minority-2/) [Ralph Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-ellison/) > [The foes now are universal - poverty, famine, religious radicalization, desertification, drugs, proliferation of nuclear weapons, ecological devastation. They threaten all nations, just as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shimon-peres/the-foes-now-are-universal-poverty-famine-religious-radicalization/) [Shimon Peres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shimon-peres/) > [Every government has signed up to a voluntary legal commitment under at least one of the international covenants and conventions based on the Universal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-robinson/every-government-has-signed-up-to-a-voluntary-legal-commitment-under/) [Mary Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-robinson/) > [The only way you can be universal is to be sure you are very specifically local.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damon-galgut/the-only-way-you-can-be-universal-is-to-be-sure-you-are-very/) [Damon Galgut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damon-galgut/) > [I've always been interested in writing about people, including young children who are not able to speak for themselves. 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Nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-m-not-interested-in-writing-for-adults-i-like-them-as-people-i-don/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [I'm not really interested in writing or reading about people who are nice and easy. I like the problem children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jami-attenberg/i-m-not-really-interested-in-writing-or-reading-about-people-who-are/) [Jami Attenberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jami-attenberg/) ## More by Zadie Smith > [- You look fine. - Right. I look fine. Except I don't, said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. This was why Kiki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-look-fine-right-i-look-fine-except-i-don-t-said-zora-tugging/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [“Pretty girls lie at the centre of straight culture, dyke culture, fag culture. 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I don't like them around.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/i-don-t-keep-any-copies-of-my-books-in-the-house-they-go-to-my-mum-s/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [But it makes an immigrant laugh to hear the fears of the nationalist, scared of infection, penetration, miscegenation, when this is small fry, peanuts,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/but-it-makes-an-immigrant-laugh-to-hear-the-fears-of-the-nationalist/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [Oh, I know that. You know me, baby, I cannot be broken. Takes a giant to snap me in half.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/oh-i-know-that-you-know-me-baby-i-cannot-be-broken-takes-a-giant-to/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [“In short, it was precisely the kind of friendship and Englishman makes on holiday, that he can make only on holiday. 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We have to state sameness to understand equality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-can-t-state-difference-and-also-state-equality-we-have-to-state/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [“(Unlike many others around this time, Joyce felt no shame about using the term 'middle class'. In the Chalfen lexicon the middle classes were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/unlike-many-others-around-this-time-joyce-felt-no-shame-about-using/) [Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/) > [A lot of women, when they're young, feel they have very good friends, and find later on that friendship is complicated. 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People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) Christopher K. 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