There was an attack in tonight's Evening Standard about how trivial the English novel is, compared to the American novel. I was wondering if you do think novels are terribly important. Atonement is about very big events - world war two, which you were too young to serve in. There is that 'only a novel' feeling - that compared to the real events of life, novels are rather trivial things that you recreate yourself with, objects of entertainment. IME: That's not a very good measure of emotions. With respect, your fiction doesn't moisten many eyes. JS: I should say, in defence of the emotional remark, that I know lots of American people who were moved to tears by what you wrote in The Guardian. I think I have spent a long time thinking and writing about feelings. JS: With respect, you're not known as a very emotional writer. We were trapped in the unfolding of the event and the knowledge that the huge emotional dam was yet to break - the level of the human tragedy. This event seemed to throw up a great explosion of scattered thoughts about what the consequences of it were, but it was still too soon. I had a very specific brief - as someone watching this unfold on television, like so many others, how does one react? And, in a sense, it's a little easier for a novelist if your business is trying to find the fusions, the melting points, between thought and feeling. I am going to respond to this challenge.' I sat down that very day to write a piece, like a number of fellow writers.

Then I thought, 'Well, I'm not writing a novel at the moment. I instinctively said 'Certainly not', which gave me time to think about it. How are you bearing up?' and she said 'Write something for us.' The whole newsroom was in turmoil. It was really a kind of accident for me because I happen to be married to an editor at the Guardian. Ian McEwan: Well, I think the events of September 11 were quite anomalous.

Firstly, if he'd like to talk to us about the novel, and also if he has any thoughts about the relationship between writers like himself and, if you like, 'real-world events'. These are two topics I think we should kick off with. Both attracted a lot of attention and seem to represent a new engagement of the British creative writer with current events. I felt it was a very moving piece and on October 11 he wrote another. Ian wrote a piece for the Guardian for the day after - a speed which was incredible, given the quality of the writing. But also, and more seriously, like others among us I have been very impressed by Ian's contribution to the discussion in the wake of the awful events of September 11. His latest novel, Atonement, made the Booker shortlist. John Sutherland: I am here solely to act as the thinnest of membranes for Ian McEwan this evening.

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