Welcome to Literature Matters. In this edition we celebrate the British Council's 30th Cambridge Seminar on contemporary literature, which took place in July 2007.

"I’ve never had a medal before (having never been a sporty type), but to my astonishment I received my first at the Cambridge Seminar in 2007. My colleagues - Jonathan Barker, Damian Grant and Alison St Clair Ford - were similarly honoured with gold medallions by a group of delegates who organised an entertaining revue on the final evening. The sharply-honed satire of their readings proved that they had followed every word of the writers who had come to talk to them; this could perhaps be viewed as something of a double-edged sword, but rarely can any British writer enjoy such an attentive, committed and intelligent audience.

A strong bond developed from the very first evening amongst everyone involved. The weather was kind; the questions apposite; the repartee witty; the dialogue intense. Since then, La Repubblica published a glowing three-page report on the event, books were dedicated to us, and a sense of camaraderie and community has lasted and grown. 'The best British Council event I had ever attended,' wrote one delegate - and I can only agree. Read on to find out more from the guests and delegates themselves."

- Susie Nicklin, Director Literature, British Council