British publishers draw up ‘top 20’ of living authors

Press, 14 November 1981, Page 8

British publishers draw up ‘top 20’ of living authors

NZPA London British publishers announced their choices for the top 20 living British writers yesterday — a controversial list notable as much for the names left off as for those that made the line-up.

The publishers say they plan to promote the “top 20" to improve the quality of Britons’ reading and sell more books.

Robert Graves, the poet and novelist who is required reading for university students around the world, was not named. Also missing was J. B. Priestley, who has written nearly 100 books in a celebrated 60-year literary career.

There was no room at the top for John Braine, the prolific Angus Wilson, Alan Sillitoe, Kingsley Amis, or Muriel Spark.

Braine’s novel, "Room at the Top.” became a highly regarded film. Sillitoe’s novels from the same decade, “Saturday Night and Sunday Morning” and “The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner,” also were made into respected films.

The writers were selected by a panel of five critics and booksellers for a promotion planned by the British Book Marketing Council next February. Publishing houses submitted four names each.

Narrowing the list to 20 was “incredibly difficult,” said Desmond Clarke, council director. "I accept there will be a certain amount of controversy about the choice.” Those selected, in alphabetical order, were: Beryl Bainbridge (novelist), Sir John Betjeman (Poet Laureate), Malcolm Bradbury,

Anthony Burgess, Margaret Drabble, Lawrence Durrell, John Fowles, Leon Garfield (children’s writer), William Golding, and Graham Greene. ‘ ?

Also named were Ted Hughes, John le Carre, Laurie Lee, Rosamond Lehmann, Iris Murdoch, V. S. Naipaul, Sir Victor Pritchett, Rosemary Sutcliff (children’s writer), Laurens van der Post, and Rebecca West. "The Times’s" literary editor, Philip Howard, said that choosing Britain’s best writers has perplexed critics for centuries, adding, “such judgments are nice, as well as dynamite.”-

Mr Clarke said research had shown that on any given day, 20 million Britons — nearly half the country — were reading books, and the

promotion was designed to improve the quality of their reading. The Book Marketing Council is financed by 350 members of the British Pub.lishers’ Association.

Mr Clarke acknowledged that the list was open to criticism. “Graves and Priestley were very seriously considered,” he said, adding had there been room for more, his personal additions would have included Anthony Powell, Piers Paul Read, and David Lodge.

Frank Delaney, chairman of the selectors, said: “In a storehouse so rich, there are far more than 20 good — even great — writers. What we have tried to do is select authors whose record of publication has provided them with critical acclaim and public recognition.”