Sir, - John Boland in his always entertaining column, Bookworm, is quite correct to point out (October 11th) the scholarly detective work of Anne Haverty in her Sunday Telegraph review, in which she attempts to unmask all the authors of the novel Finbar's Hotel. As befits a superb novelist in her own right, Ms Haverty puts forward excellent and highly persuasive arguments to link writers to the seven chapters. So persuasive were they, indeed, that I was almost convinced myself. Happily however, Mr Boland is slightly premature in labelling her "a spoilsport" as Ms Haverty - like most people who've tried in print so far - actually gets the identity of more authors wrong than right, which is surely part of the whole fun of this unique collaboration.
Perhaps Mr Boland should have a go himself, failing which it may eventually be necessary for the editor of Finbar's Hotel to meet his Holiness, John Paul II in Knock Airport for a straight swap; the First Secret of Finglas for the Third Secret of Fatima. - Yours, etc.,
Frin Dermot Bolger
New Island Books, Dundrum Road, Dublin 14.