ACCEPTANCE SPEECH

Hi gang. Thank you very much indeed. There are certain places in the universe you never imagine standing. For me, it's the moon, the South Pole, the Miss World podium and here. It's a tremendous honor, so thank you to the Academy. I certainly wouldn't be standing here tonight without Vikas Swarup, who wrote the book, without which none of Slumdog would ever have happened. So thank you, Vikas.

Tessa Ross from Film4 who shoved the manuscript to my hand and said this is yours, you must go to India. Thank you. My parents who've always supported me throughout everything. My wife Jane, for whom repressed English writers have to write love stories 'cause they can't really say what they mean. Susan Landau and Charlotte Knight, both my manager and my agent, um, and of course, the wonderful Dev, the wonderful Latika and the cast and crew of the film who have taught me so much about India and so much about writing, so they've all sort of changed my life. And finally, um, thank you so much to Danny and Christian, the other two musketeers. Thank you very much.