Bright Sparks

After reading Scott Macnab’s report (1 February) on First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s small, but enjoyable, contribution to the celebration of “Muriel Spark:creme de la Crème,” in Edinburgh’s Usher Hall on 31 January, it seems appropriate to pay tribute to all who took part.

With affectionate and gently humorous recollections, Alan Taylor, along with Rosemary Goring, guided us through the subsequent delights of the evening. Alexander Mccall Smith’s reading of his new poem “Remember Muriel Spark” and Ian Rankin’s reading from her work had particular appeal, while the centrepiece of this joyful occasion was the performance by members of the Lyceum company of a wittily devised set of extracts from her play Doctors of Philosophy, with a clever cliff-hanger of an ending.

A recording of the lady herself made at a previous Edinburgh International Book Festival made a truly moving conclusion.

Grateful thanks to those who devised, organised and presented this excellent tribute.

ISOBEL MIERAS Swanston Avenue, Edinburgh