Meanwhile in Pakistan some lout at Lahore University (he’s described as a ‘lecturer in English’) is trying to ‘clean up’ the university’s English syllabus. Amongst the writings objected to, work by Hemingway, Swift and Pope. Fortunately, this attempt at censorship is unlikely to succeed, but there will – inevitably – be a chilling effect. It’s also worth noting the unpleasant role played in this sorry saga by the wife of a retired general. That this woman has had any influence at all says plenty about the current state of affairs in Pakistan – none of it good.