The journey is littered with burnt out tanks.  In the early nineteen hundreds the Italians came.  They built roads and bridges and beautiful art deco buildings all over Eritrea.  They also Read more [...]

It is a marvel to see these people, my people. I see my shape of face in the men everywhere and I see the face of my mother, my sisters and brothers, my aunts and uncles and my father. It’s a beautiful thing. The sun is relentless, darkening my skin as I marvel at our likeness. Soon enough I am darkened into one of my own people and become as unnoticeable as I have always wanted to be. Read more [...]

I realise how famous The Journalist is when I see her stood in front of this adoring and critical audience. The British council lay on an excellent spread of food and drink. The PA is perfect and they have to be commended for doing such an accomplished job. But most of all Gisella, the pregnant background woman and “wife of diplomat” who is the real force for good in this entire story and without whom none of this would have happened. Read more [...]

That he speaks in English, not his first language, makes the sentences sound sharp as they are without the subtleties and nuances language requires to eventually deliver its aim. Instead the sentences arrive at their goal abruptly. “so... you have written a book”. it leaves us to interpret nuance. Read more [...]

Today I am leaving London for here Eritrea. I am traveling with The Journalist.

Shit I am tired. I feel like the life has been sucked out of me and evenly distributed into bland grey bottes on every shelf of a vast wharehouse that has my name at the entrance. I can walk up and down the aisles of myself and every bottle is the same. Read more [...]

I made a thirty minute BBC TV documentary on the search for the fathers side of the famly. It is now on youtube in three parts. It is called Internal Flight and you can watch it in three ten minute sections here . Read more [...]

Everything is go. Chuck D has confirmed as part of my Literature By Any Means series of events to be launched in October. he shall be here in London on 10th October. Read more [...]

The plane was delayed so last night I stayed at a hotel in johanesburg airport.   Roger Robinson, the author and Hannah Henderson of British Council stayed too.  We are  all tired and Read more [...]

It is a small and peaceful country. The ex presidents wife is here and the presidents wife is in the audience. I cut my set down from twenty minutes to ten. It’s a dynamic, thunderous gig, a bit storm like. Read more [...]