I heard the same rumour - a brothel pre-WWI. Any Oxford building that wasn't a college or a church was probably brothel-adjacent at one time or another.

What he needs is something akin to the book John Carey wrote about Dickens - the Violent Effigy - where all the best descriptions are pulled from the morass and given their due.

When I wrote to him aged 23, he wrote back almost by return of post - encouragingly, graciously, and with good advice. He was a panentheist - God is in everything - a position that has its merits but doesn't encourage a descriptive writer to make cuts.

Worth hearing him youtu.be/PhO81S666Ok?...

Thank you, Luke

The place to be seen!

But it wasn't his landlady and he didn't push her down the stairs!

Just teasing, Rishi...

Yes, it's even more obvious now that it should have won the Forward Prize in 2022.

oh ho you lovely man - thank you

I taught him the dance to "Saturday Night" by Whigfield

Steady on, Sophie! But thank you very much. That means a lot, coming from you.

Thanks, Rachel