Carmen Callil

Carmen Callil judged this the best thing that MF ever wrote.

On 23 February an obituary by Margaret Atwood appeared in the London Observer, and one by Carter's friend and publisher Carmen Callil in the Sunday Times.

She embarked on this book at the suggestion (in 1972) of Carmen Callil , who wanted it for Virago Press before the press was up and running. It became one of their opening titles. AC

Her friends included her former teacher the art historian and spy-master Anthony Blunt , publisher Carmen Callil , novelist Julian Barnes , who met her in 1984 when they were both on the Booker shortlist...

PB says that one stage she threw away the manuscript of this novel in despair, but her husband rescued it from the bin. She said she felt the absence of models for writing fiction...