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I have Possession on my tbr pile but have never read any AS Byatt before, despite my MA tutor, Philip Hensher, being a close friend of Antonia's (I must read his piece in The Spectator). Now I've followed these links to some of her books and had a look inside, I think I will move Possession to the top of my tbr because, as you rightly say, her writing pulls you in. A lovely tribute.

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Let me know how you get on. x

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Nov 18, 2023Liked by Katy Wheatley

I enjoyed her work too. Glad I learned of her passing from you instead of elsewhere because this was a lovely tribute.

In school whenever I’d enthuse about her work, I’d get two different responses. The women would go, “ooh, yes” and the men would invariably say, “aah! Did you know Margaret Drabble’s sister?”

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I confess that I always get Margaret Drabble, Doris Lessing and Beryl Bainbridge mixed up, which is a terrible sin. I've read all three women's work and they are radically different but for some reason, in my head, they are one woman wearing different hats!

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Thank you for this. I haven't sen anyone else mark her passing on here. I've only ever read Possession - a long time ago, but your words make me want to read more and so I shall search a few tings out, maybe those short stories first.

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Good luck. Let me know how you get on. x

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Nov 18, 2023Liked by Katy Wheatley

Much better than the NYT tribute!

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Thank you! x

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Glowing tribute

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Thank you. x

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