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.