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RARELY IN its long, glorious history has the elegant Examination Hall of Trinity College Dublin seemed quite as relaxed a place as it was yesterday morning. The great Canadian writer Alice Munro arrived for a press conference marking her victory over an impressive shortlist of major novelists. It proved unexpectedly moving probably because the small, ladylike, white-haired Munro is direct, quick-witted and businesslike.

She doesn’t deal in mystery, there was no artistic torment and she gives the impression of being able, within minutes, of describing everyone in the room. Looking at her were admirers who could smile at each other and claim to have read all of her stories. She is that kind of writer. Read one Munro story and you will continue to read them.