I SHOOK the hand of my old teacher on Saturday and I queued to do it because his name is Seamus Heaney.

Usually, I make an awkward fan. My habit is to side-step my heroes but my memories of him were so fond, I couldn't resist.

He was still on stage at the conclusion of an event at the Edinburgh Book Festival as a large part of his admiring audience rushed to the signing tent to secure a place in the queue.

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