13 June 2016
But this season, there is a chill in the literary atmosphere. Unsurprisingly, given that the publishing industry continues to face tough times and, for its practitioners and impresarios alike, an uncertain future, it all starts with money. For years now, a row has rumbled on about the fees paid to authors at literary festivals or, more precisely, the lack of them. And it came to a head in January, when Philip Pullman resigned as patron of the 20-year-old Oxford literary festival, deciding that the position put him in clear conflict with his other role as president of the Society of Authors - the organisation committed to defending writers' increasingly precarious ability to make a living from their work.
