Having been away a few days, this is great to come back to. Thanks to all comers in an interesting conversation - new voices welcomed too!

I guess what I had in mind was this, to attempt a reframe in more explcit terms:
1 Name the ten authors of literature in English you consider most important and representative of enduring qualities, consistent with
2 Your own (formative) experience, culture, country of domicile etc

I wasn't asking for the list of authors you felt had had most impact on you (which might be more to do with content, sometimes?), although this may be the basis of another fun comparison. I was quite assuming there would be (possibly wide) variation in responses, and as mentioned also open to the argument that the whole idea of a canon is redundant. But it's an interesting proposition to make yourself try and face, isn't it? I was also not originally proposing to try and agree a concensus canon at the death... but hey, we can try if anyone wants!

Completely convinced I am by your argument, AnnaS, btw - another sub is coming on in my team! It's another strange feature of this exercise (for me at least) to realise there are certain authors and works that really have shaped my understanding and use of language yet whaich I take utterly for granted, like that. AA Milne is possibly another, though with Pooh & Co I probably have to struggle to carefully separate out the case for 'creative use of language' and 'dear old friends of developing years' (content).

And yes, though there are hundreds of works I have enjoyed or taken some substance from, that is not quite the same thing, I think, as the recognition that the author's use of language itself has somehow changed your understanding of the possibilities of magic at work.

But yes, CK, it's an artificial construct, of course, and I completely agree about a prescriptive meaning to 'required': I would never want any book rammed down anyone's throat under any circumstances. That's why I suggested this is a bit of a game - even if taken in different ways by different players (AYL...)