Peter Dinklage has cancelled his visit to Australia in November and many fans of Game of Thrones will be disappointed. (The show's writer, George R.R. Martin is, however, still appearing at the Wheeler Centre on Wednesday.)

I would have liked to have seen Dinklage because, as well as being a skilled performer, he's also a dwarf. The fascination with little people is, according to British actor Warwick Davis, part of a natural curiosity. Davis doesn't mind that people look twice when he passes. Of course, they could be looking at him because he's famous, not just because he's only 106 centimetres tall.

Peter Dinklage in Game of Thrones.

Others - variously known as little people, dwarfs or short-statured people - do not enjoy this admiring attention and may find themselves being photographed in public places - something that Davis makes fun of in his TV series Life's Too Short - with their picture circulated on Facebook.

In my research for a book about little people I found that throughout history, dwarfs have been entertainers, often part of a circus or vaudeville show. But that is no longer their only option thanks to disability legislation. I interviewed 12 people, all of them in different occupations, and the two who are in the entertainment industry - Davis and Stella Young - had strong opinions about the type of work short people should accept. I am an average-size person and after interviewing and getting to know them I support their right to respect as individuals in society.