4th January 2016

May I wish all my readers a very happy New Year.

I’ve been fascinated by the discussions on the New Year’s Honours list, and while I have no quarrel with DBEs being given to Sian Phillips and Barbara Windsor, and even in previous years to Kristin Scott Thomas and Joan Collins, I am, nevertheless, puzzled as to why there are no authors on the list. Isn’t it time we had ‘Sir’ Ian McEwan, ‘Sir’ David Cornwell (John Le Carre), ‘Sir’ Alan Bennett, or my biggest hero, ‘Sir’ Andrew Davis, the brilliant adapter of so many classics – not to mention ‘Dame’ J K Rowling? Is it possible they’ve all turned it down?