LETTER:Sensitive writer

From Ms Jan Morris

Sir: In one respect Amanda Craig (letter, 24 March) is wrong, as she may some day discover for herself, in claiming that writers cannot be driven into silence by bad reviews. During four decades of the literary life I have cheerfully experienced reviews in every degree of kindness and hostility and sometimes benefited even from the nastiest; but now that I am in my 69th year, I suspect a really savage reception to a book of mine would persuade me to call it a day.

But then perhaps that's what Ms Craig means by quasi-Darwinian struggle?

Yours faithfully,

JAN MORRIS

Llanystumdwy,

Gwynedd

24 March