This book was inspired by the Editor of The Island, Prabath Sahabandu, who suggested, when I found myself unemployed in March 2010, that I contribute a weekly literary column to his newspaper. Since I had resigned from my jobs to become a candidate for Parliament, and would have liked to have been considered a valued political commentator, I was a bit disappointed to find greater value placed on my knowledge of literature. But the task I undertook turned out to be enormously enjoyable, and I must thank him for ensuring that I went back to many books I had enjoyed over the years.

I am grateful too to Yasmine Gooneratne for providing an introduction which says much about the concept behind this book. She makes it clear that agreement on what constitutes a classic is as difficult to achieve, or even envisage, as is agreement on what to include in a list of 50 classics. Indeed I have broadened the definition further, because I set myself the target of identifying not 50 books but rather 50 writers who seemed to me interesting, important and enjoyable. In the process, I considered writers who produced just a single work that was outstanding in these respects, as well as writers who produced no individual work of great distinction, but whose general output fulfilled these requirements.