Letter: `Midweek' break

Sir: Vicky Ward (Diary, 4 April) thinks me so confident of my tentative novel's success that I am giving up the day job, on Midweek. Alas, only Martin Amis and Mr Toad have that sort of confidence. Besides, why not do both? Melvyn Bragg does, and looks well enough on it.

The truth is that I have asked if I can give up the last six Midweeks of this series, by way of a sabbatical to make up for having spent six months of last year working on through a severe arm injury. Dull, but true.

Yours faithfully,

LIBBY PURVES

London, W1