Byron Rogers

John James wrote three historical novels at the end of the 1960s. I read two of them this year: Votan and Not for all the Gold in Ireland, and have advertised without suc- cess......

Christopher Hawtree

Everyone knows of Evelyn, a good many of Auberon, too few of Arthur, but who now reads their namesake Edwin, the Lancashire dialect poet? Once famous for his 'Come Whoam To Thy......

Stan Gebler Davies

Ulick O'Connor did not, so far as I know, publish anything this year and so I cannot nominate any production of his, as auto- matically as I usually can, as the most overrated......

Alice Thomas Ellis

I haven't read any new books this year, only reviews and only one of these re- viewed books really sticks in my mind. It is Leon Garfield's book of Shakespeare's plays re-told......

Paul Johnson

Of the books I was sent for review in 1985, none struck me as outstanding, though I was impressed by the material presented in Sanford J. Ungar's Africa: People and Politics in......

Eric Christiansen

The only new book I have read this year is one written before the war by Barbara Pym. It is just like the others. That is praise enough. I wish I could remember what it is......

Jeffrey Bernard

I was surprised and disappointed that Unexplained Laughter by Alice Thomas Ellis was not short-listed for the Booker Prize. The fact that she is a friend has nothing to do with......