Writing as an agent, Piers Blofeld (From the other side of the desk, WM, Mar) suggets that publishers tend to have a leftish, metropolitan worldview and incline to publish work that appeals to readers who share it. _ is is also true of literary agents. One might argue that far from being reactive to its broader market the whole book-producing industry determines what that market shall read – or ought to read.
In the same issue, a letter from reader, Eric Olsen (Does Age Matter?, p9), touches on agents’ attitudes to the age of those submitting work to them. _ is is usually put down to concern about investing in a rapidly wasting asset, but may also be attributable to contempt for those whose written English dates from before these agents were born.
ALAN HAMILTON Bridport, Dorset