This prompt made me think of gentlemen’s gentlemen, of Jeeves and Bunter. But the only Wodehouse that I have in the house is Psmith in the City, and I’ve already used Sayers. So I thought I’d broaden the idea out to all the sidekicks, to the ones who exist as a sounding board for their main characters and the ones who are several steps ahead of them. The ones who exist because somebody in this book needs to be in touch with reality, and the ones who exist because the main character couldn’t cope without them.
So here’s to you, Bunter and Jeeves. Here’s to you, Passepartout. Here’s to you, Captain Hastings. Here’s to you, Doctor Watson and here’s to you, Miss Moneypenny. I’m glad somebody wrote you some books of your own.
Kathleen Jowitt 