Comments on: Who is Britain’s greatest living writer?

By: Tim Williams

Tim Williams — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 13:43:25 +0000

Alan Moore. Not only is he Britain’s greatest living writer, he is the greatest writer of the English language with blood still pumping through his heart. I can’t understand why The Guardian would even need to ask this question. They should have simply announced the answer: Dear everyone, Alan Moore is Britain’s greatest living writer. There is nothing to discuss. We just thought you should know.

Seconded!

By: Andy McDuffie

Andy McDuffie — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 10:52:59 +0000

I wouldn’t presume to know the answer to this question. In fact I doubt an answer is findable or even desirable. Like John above, I have a lot of admiration for M John, Moorcock, Sinclair, Moore & Ballard. I also think Christopher Priest is still grossly and criminally under-rated.

By: John

John — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 03:35:51 +0000

Alan is on my list, certainly. Along with the New Worlds crew–Moorcock, Ballard and M John Harrison–and probably Iain Sinclair for his essays. Just don’t ask me to pick a favourite. None of these people featured in The Guardian story, of course.

By: Abel Diaz

Abel Diaz — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 03:19:25 +0000

Alan Moore. Not only is he Britain?s greatest living writer, he is the greatest writer of the English language with blood still pumping through his heart. I can’t understand why The Guardian would even need to ask this question. They should have simply announced the answer: Dear everyone, Alan Moore is Britain?s greatest living writer. There is nothing to discuss. We just thought you should know.

By: Eroom Nala

Eroom Nala — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 05:03:58 +0000

Very true
1001 Books you must read before you die doesn’t include a single play or book of poems or essays.

By: John

John — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 02:22:15 +0000

I fixed one of your links, an apostrophe threw it off.

These lists are always problematic since they’re usually about favourites and popularity rather than quality. Stoppard is a rare example of a playwright getting a look in, usually people only consider fiction writers in polls like this. Poets, playwrights, essayists seem to be cast as lesser beings.

By: Eroom Nala

Eroom Nala — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 01:55:28 +0000

PS his new play sounds interesting

http://www.radio.cz/en/article/80581

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_’n'_Roll_(play)

By: Eroom Nala

Eroom Nala — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 01:53:40 +0000

Well the greatest dead writer would have to be Shakespeare I suppose.
Glad to find Stoppard in the top 4.
He may be British but he was actually born in Czechoslovakia.
Likes to describe himself as a bounced Czech.
His original birth name isn’t very British

Tomá? Straussler