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Nah, we had Bernie Lewis. I dropped English after O Levels - it was Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath that finished me off

No-one's saying they're "better" but it's the historical context. Shakespeare has a dominant presence and influence over so many writers that it's hard to study any later period without at least a nod to him. Similarly so many novelists have Dickens to thank: you mention Amis but Dickens'...

Yes, that's a good point. If there were political reasons, Orwell would scarcely be allowed. Is Priestley on the syllabus these days? Thought he'd be a bit old-fashioned for modern tastes. I do have some sympathy for Gove on this. It's shocking that some kids can get an English A level and not...

You're not older than me but I only studied one British author (Shakespeare) for my English O Level so it's not true to say that all set authors were British. I suspect the real reason that the likes of Steinbeck and Miller are out is not that they're American but because they were communist...

Gove wasn't an academic: he was a journalist ... and one who went on strike about 10 years ago