Part memoir, self-help manual and polemic, this assortment of pieces mostly written by three ancient practitioners of the literary trade, whose professional lives all started when typewriters were scarcely electrified, posits a belief that publishing is more than just part of a global media division in massive entertainment conglomerates. With a combined age of over two hundred years and with more than fifty books written between them, three toilers in the literary furrows reflect on the 'literary life': anecdotes; memories; short fictions; reminiscences; critiques of feminist writing - even a list of Dos and Don'ts for Future Writers - create a perfect companion for those who still consider books have covers and live on shelves and is essential reading for all graduates on creative writing courses or in media study groups.