Writers’ work built on women’s labour | Books

Setting aside the grandiose claim that JRR Tolkien was “one of the most influential literary figures of all time” (‘Reduced to nonsense’: JRR Tolkien’s irritation with typist revealed in archive, 6 March), the focus on his derision of his typist serves yet again to conceal the uncounted hours and years of women’s labour that has gone into male authors’ work, as typists, indexers, decipherers of meaning and supporters of ego, without which their work wouldn’t have seen the light of day. I daresay this worker was thinking “Not another elf!” as she put her unacknowledged effort into enhancing Tolkien’s reputation.
Karen Adler
Nottingham

I’ve been completing your quick crossword since 1972. I now wonder if it’s becoming more difficult, or if I am getting too old to know all these strange words? Wednesday’s answer “wysiwyg” was the last straw!
Sarah Akhtar
Stoke-on-Trent

Ann Bowman (Letters, 28 February) can solve the problem of cooking for one without you having to publish more recipes for fewer people. I have lived alone for more than 30 years. I cook a recipe for six or eight, divide it into separate dishes, eat one and freeze the rest.
Adrianne LeMan
London

Please can we have more recipes that don’t contain more than 10 ingredients? Thank you.
Geraldine Blake
Worthing, West Sussex

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