Mortification

This anthology gathers more than eighty pieces in which writers recall moments when they were made to feel foolish in front of others. Its premise is that literary life is unusually fertile ground for embarrassment. Lofty ambitions set against meagre earnings make for comedy, and so does the act of presenting work refined over years to a crowd of unpredictable strangers, which can tip into something close to tragedy.

The contributions cover a wide range of situations: the audience, fellow authors, the organisers and venues, the hospitality on offer, and the long journeys to and from events. They also take in teaching and being taught, reviewing and being reviewed, festivals, writers' retreats, symposia, book signings, literary parties and prizes, and trips abroad where translation adds its own complications. Television and radio appearances, which can expose a writer to far larger audiences, are included too.

The contributors include Simon Armitage, Margaret Atwood, Julian Barnes, Louis de Bernieres, Margaret Drabble, Roddy Doyle, AL Kennedy, John Lanchester, Patrick McCabe, Rick Moody, Andrew Motion, Andrew O'Hagan, Colm Toibin, Irvine Welsh and James Wood.

Part of the appeal is the pleasure of watching accomplished people stumble. Yet the stories also show a respect for admitting human frailty and bruised vanity, and they highlight how odd it is to carry private creative work out into public view.