At the Guardian, Antonia Byatt defends the Arts Council’s cuts to its funding of literature.

Referring periodically to a set of printed notes on the table in front of her, she explains how she’s looking forward to “working with the literature sector” to think about the next three to five years. “Talking to people and hearing what they have to say is a very important part of that.”

Thank goodness she had prepared the notes. Without them she might have said something inane.