Letter: Long-remembered hoax

WILLIAM BOYD and David Bowie's literary hoax (report, 7 April) was in fact a failure. They were unable to convince more than a roomful of trusting guests for longer than six days that their imaginary artist did exist.

Possibly William Boyd wished to write himself into the history books as the Australian poets Jim McAuley and Harold Stewart did in 1944 with Ern Malley and the Angry Penguins. If so, maybe he should be grateful that his little ruse was not as successful as theirs, and take heed from McAuley's words to a friend before he died: "I sometimes fear this will be what I am remembered for."

SEAN RABIN

London NW10