I have just retired from several years of teaching creative writing. It seems a good moment to face that old question: has it all been a waste of time? Is it really possible to teach imaginative writing?

One of the first things we discuss on our course is suspense – don’t give everything away in your first line. I shall ignore this basic rule and reveal my answer straight away. Of course it’s possible. In fact this is a silly question, and it’s a mystery how it