Shortly after William Dalrymple posted the opening chapter of his first book to the publisher, he found a curt message on his answering machine.
‘I am assuming this is a first draft,’ it said. ‘If not, we will have to seriously reconsider your advance.’
Dalrymple, 24 at the time, began again. was published in 1989, winning plaudits – as all his ten books since have done.
