Universities are destroying the novel

DJ Taylor in The Guardian argues that "the boom in academic writing courses has led to a glut of soulless novels".

Leaving aside a few shining heroes such as Malcolm Bradbury, what the academy has done for English literature in the past two or three decades could be summarised on the back of a small postcard. The more that literature in this country becomes the exclusive province of the university system, the worse it will be for all of us.