Who is the greatest?

Creating coverage out of something it wrote itself has led The Guardian to devote its lead feature today to debating who is Britain’s greatest living author. What started the debate is a news story the paper produced last week that referred to Martin Amis as the person but no doubt this will run and run.

The problem with judging a living writer is that because they are continuing to produce work they still might have a War and Peace up their sleeve and it might be unwise to judge them just on the output up to date. Describing something as a ‘classic’ usually comes after the death of the writer and as a yardstick that seems a good guide. In terms of measuring greatness it’s so subjective that inevitably it will come down to either volume of sales or personal popularity.

30 comments

  1. Stephen

    I’m going to stick my neck out and say Harold Pinter.

    Somebody in The Guardian today said they wouldn’t even put Amis in the top 50. I tend to agree. After struggling with ‘The Information’ I’d even be inclined to place him in the bottom 50.

  2. Stephen

    I’m going to stick my neck out and say Harold Pinter.Somebody in The Guardian today said they wouldn’t even put Amis in the top 50. I tend to agree. After struggling with ‘The Information’ I’d even be inclined to place him in the bottom 50.

  3. Stephenwww.stephenlang.co.uk

    I’m going to stick my neck out and say Harold Pinter.

    Somebody in The Guardian today said they wouldn’t even put Amis in the top 50. I tend to agree. After struggling with ‘The Information’ I’d even be inclined to place him in the bottom 50.

  4. Stephen

    I’m going to stick my neck out and say Harold Pinter.

    Somebody in The Guardian today said they wouldn’t even put Amis in the top 50. I tend to agree. After struggling with ‘The Information’ I’d even be inclined to place him in the bottom 50.

  5. Stephen

    I’m going to stick my neck out and say Harold Pinter.

    Somebody in The Guardian today said they wouldn’t even put Amis in the top 50. I tend to agree. After struggling with ‘The Information’ I’d even be inclined to place him in the bottom 50.

  6. Stephen

    I’m going to stick my neck out and say Harold Pinter.

    Somebody in The Guardian today said they wouldn’t even put Amis in the top 50. I tend to agree. After struggling with ‘The Information’ I’d even be inclined to place him in the bottom 50.

  7. Stephen

    I’m going to stick my neck out and say Harold Pinter.

    Somebody in The Guardian today said they wouldn’t even put Amis in the top 50. I tend to agree. After struggling with ‘The Information’ I’d even be inclined to place him in the bottom 50.

  8. Stephen

    I’m going to stick my neck out and say Harold Pinter.

    Somebody in The Guardian today said they wouldn’t even put Amis in the top 50. I tend to agree. After struggling with ‘The Information’ I’d even be inclined to place him in the bottom 50.

  9. Stephen

    I’m going to stick my neck out and say Harold Pinter.

    Somebody in The Guardian today said they wouldn’t even put Amis in the top 50. I tend to agree. After struggling with ‘The Information’ I’d even be inclined to place him in the bottom 50.

  10. Stephen

    I’m going to stick my neck out and say Harold Pinter.

    Somebody in The Guardian today said they wouldn’t even put Amis in the top 50. I tend to agree. After struggling with ‘The Information’ I’d even be inclined to place him in the bottom 50.

  11. Stephen

    I’m going to stick my neck out and say Harold Pinter.

    Somebody in The Guardian today said they wouldn’t even put Amis in the top 50. I tend to agree. After struggling with ‘The Information’ I’d even be inclined to place him in the bottom 50.

  12. Stephen

    I’m going to stick my neck out and say Harold Pinter.

    Somebody in The Guardian today said they wouldn’t even put Amis in the top 50. I tend to agree. After struggling with ‘The Information’ I’d even be inclined to place him in the bottom 50.

  13. Stephen

    I’m going to stick my neck out and say Harold Pinter.

    Somebody in The Guardian today said they wouldn’t even put Amis in the top 50. I tend to agree. After struggling with ‘The Information’ I’d even be inclined to place him in the bottom 50.

  14. Stephen

    I’m going to stick my neck out and say Harold Pinter.

    Somebody in The Guardian today said they wouldn’t even put Amis in the top 50. I tend to agree. After struggling with ‘The Information’ I’d even be inclined to place him in the bottom 50.

  15. Stephen

    I’m going to stick my neck out and say Harold Pinter.

    Somebody in The Guardian today said they wouldn’t even put Amis in the top 50. I tend to agree. After struggling with ‘The Information’ I’d even be inclined to place him in the bottom 50.

  16. Stephen

    I’m going to stick my neck out and say Harold Pinter.

    Somebody in The Guardian today said they wouldn’t even put Amis in the top 50. I tend to agree. After struggling with ‘The Information’ I’d even be inclined to place him in the bottom 50.

  17. Stephen

    I’m going to stick my neck out and say Harold Pinter.

    Somebody in The Guardian today said they wouldn’t even put Amis in the top 50. I tend to agree. After struggling with ‘The Information’ I’d even be inclined to place him in the bottom 50.

  18. Stephen

    I’m going to stick my neck out and say Harold Pinter.

    Somebody in The Guardian today said they wouldn’t even put Amis in the top 50. I tend to agree. After struggling with ‘The Information’ I’d even be inclined to place him in the bottom 50.

  19. Stephen

    I’m going to stick my neck out and say Harold Pinter.

    Somebody in The Guardian today said they wouldn’t even put Amis in the top 50. I tend to agree. After struggling with ‘The Information’ I’d even be inclined to place him in the bottom 50.

  20. Stephen

    I’m going to stick my neck out and say Harold Pinter.

    Somebody in The Guardian today said they wouldn’t even put Amis in the top 50. I tend to agree. After struggling with ‘The Information’ I’d even be inclined to place him in the bottom 50.

  21. Stephen

    I’m going to stick my neck out and say Harold Pinter.

    Somebody in The Guardian today said they wouldn’t even put Amis in the top 50. I tend to agree. After struggling with ‘The Information’ I’d even be inclined to place him in the bottom 50.

  22. Stephen

    I’m going to stick my neck out and say Harold Pinter.

    Somebody in The Guardian today said they wouldn’t even put Amis in the top 50. I tend to agree. After struggling with ‘The Information’ I’d even be inclined to place him in the bottom 50.

  23. Stephen

    I’m going to stick my neck out and say Harold Pinter.

    Somebody in The Guardian today said they wouldn’t even put Amis in the top 50. I tend to agree. After struggling with ‘The Information’ I’d even be inclined to place him in the bottom 50.

  24. Stephen

    I’m going to stick my neck out and say Harold Pinter.

    Somebody in The Guardian today said they wouldn’t even put Amis in the top 50. I tend to agree. After struggling with ‘The Information’ I’d even be inclined to place him in the bottom 50.

  25. Stephen

    I’m going to stick my neck out and say Harold Pinter.

    Somebody in The Guardian today said they wouldn’t even put Amis in the top 50. I tend to agree. After struggling with ‘The Information’ I’d even be inclined to place him in the bottom 50.

  26. Stephen

    I’m going to stick my neck out and say Harold Pinter.

    Somebody in The Guardian today said they wouldn’t even put Amis in the top 50. I tend to agree. After struggling with ‘The Information’ I’d even be inclined to place him in the bottom 50.

  27. Stephen

    I’m going to stick my neck out and say Harold Pinter.

    Somebody in The Guardian today said they wouldn’t even put Amis in the top 50. I tend to agree. After struggling with ‘The Information’ I’d even be inclined to place him in the bottom 50.

  28. simon quicke

    The problem with Amis seems to be his personality because so many people dislike him. I watched an interview between him and Clive James the other night on http://www.clivejames.com thr In the Library interviews and talk about high brow it was a intellectual willy waving exercise.

  29. simon quicke

    The problem with Amis seems to be his personality because so many people dislike him. I watched an interview between him and Clive James the other night on http://www.clivejames.com thr In the Library interviews and talk about high brow it was a intellectual willy waving exercise.

  30. simon quicke

    The problem with Amis seems to be his personality because so many people dislike him. I watched an interview between him and Clive James the other night on http://www.clivejames.com thr In the Library interviews and talk about high brow it was a intellectual willy waving exercise.

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