Last week, novelists, poets and historians came together with readers of The Tablet to explore the Catholic imagination in an event to mark our 175th anniversary, writes Brendan Walsh.David Lodge (pictured below) began by telling us that he had been astonished to open his Tablet several weeks ago and find a brochure announcing that he would give the opening talk at the event at the Library of Birmingham. He couldn’t remember confirming that he had agreed to take part, but now that the programme was printed he couldn’t think of a graceful way of getting out of it. Our greatest comic novelist proceeded to give an enthralling account of how the Catholic imagination has woven in and out of English literature over the past two centuries. Over two days, in workshops, lectures and pa