On what basis is The Tale of Genji considered “the world’s first novel” (Lost chapter of world’s oldest novel found in storage chest in Japanese home, 11 October)? From the Romano-Hellenistic world we seem to have disqualified (not necessarily the first, but the oldest that have survived) a romantic novel, Longus’ Daphnis and Chloe; a satirical novel, Apuleius’s The Golden Ass; and a science fiction novel, Lucian’s Vera Historia.
Charles Baily
Bedford
• It’s good to see the National Portrait Gallery is staging an exhibition of pre-Raphaelite female artists. But this isn’t their first dedicated exhibition (Taking flight, Review, 12 October). There was an excellent exhibition, Pre-Raphaelite Women Artists, in 1998 in Manchester, Birmingham and Southampton. I still have the accompanying book.
Angie Burns
Stafford