Mark Lambert: Pioneer in the sphere of graphic fiction and family fun to boot

I THINK it's absolutely fine that the Oor Wullie annual has topped the list. The point about Oor Wullie and other kinds of comics is simply that they never go out of fashion because they are good.

They capture something of the Scots sense of humour, way of life and family life too. You could say it would be nice if something of perhaps a more literary worth topped the charts, but that is really failing to see the point, which is that Oor Wullie is a fantastic Christmas title and the perfect kind of present that entertains all of the family - not just the kids but the parents and the grandparents, too.

I don't think there is anything wrong with that at all. After all, some of the greatest works of literature have been comic strips and graphic novels, and there is no way that they should be regarded as inferior.

It's important that children are at least reading something rather than nothing at all and playing computer games and that sort of thing. These old favourites are guaranteed to please and amuse and give pleasure. I think the most important message is that people are reading for pleasure, they are enjoying it and having a laugh with it. And that is what literature is for. What matters to the ordinary reader is that they enjoying what they are reading.

I haven't read any of the Twilight novels but my teenage daughter has and loves them. I am an Oor Wullie fan and a serious fan of comics and graphic fiction as well. And Oor Wullie is one of the pioneers in that sphere.

• Mark Lambert is the director of the Scottish Book Trust