‘Andy Burnham’s life was changed by the poet Tony Harrison’: writers discuss literature, politics and the 100 best novels

Despite shortening attention spans, people are “still reading novels”, said the writer Elif Shafak at a panel event on the Guardian’s list of the 100 best novels ever published in English, which was unveiled last week.

“The faster this world spins, the deeper our need to slow down,” she continued. “We are so tired of this rush, of this bombardment of information.”