As a writer, I respect the right to be paid for one's work.

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Former prime minister Gordon Brown paid tribute, describing Mr Wicks as "a great thinker, writer, campaigner and parliamentarian".

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In October 2000 a Wexford school teacher, Eoin Colfer, won the largest advance ever paid to an unknown writer in Britain for his children's book, Artemis Fowl.

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Phyllis Logan, who plays housekeeper Mrs Hughes in the show, paid tribute to writer Julian Fellowes, saying his "imagination has captured the imagination of a lot of you all around the world".

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And on a platform where writers are paid by visitor count, controversy and the resulting spike in readership can be lucrative for the writer.

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