I don’t do
it a lot but I did it today. I did.  I
sent out an email
advertising my forthcoming book to everyone on my email list. At least it was
democratic, journalists got the same message as distant friends.  There’s seven thousand in total. I haven't read any “how to market yourself” books. I am not ill at ease with letting people know about the book. But in the swill of the age it is impossible to see the difference between the shit and the chanel. Cause you can't smell online.   I wanted to send a funny
message. The subject line would have read “Not
a message from Lemn Sissay”.

The mail
would have read like   “This is not a message from lemn Sissay
advertising a book that he did not write because he does not send these kinds
of messages. It is not the first book in seven years and neither is it available
on Amazon now. No way. There is no tour.” Anyway I didn’t send that mail
cause I was told it was shit. I just sent one that said “Hi, my books
coming out and you can get it on amazon”. And that was it.

In two days
I’ll be off on a ship full with artists. We are  to engage with the realities of climate
change.  I’m nervous but I am not sure
what I am nervous about. I’ll be getting myself some sick tablets tomorrow,
some inner gloves, socks and a hat. The rest of the arctic clothing  has been bought and borrowed.   But it
won’t actually be mercilessly cold. It’ll be  minus ten tops. I can handle that. So maybe I
went overboard on the shopping. Hunter wellington Boots and scarpa boots set me
back “£250  ($500). Spent £600
($1200)  on clothing stuff alone.  Still it’ll be useful when I next go to the
arctic, won't it?  So far I've had a blizzard of out of office replies -  six hundred of them.