In rehearsal at Southbank Centre from noon until 4pm with musicians Gary Crosby and Peter Edwards,   we are  rehearsing on the stage of The Purcell Rooms inside the Southbank Centre for a  gig in July.   It’s for The Royal Society anniversary  celebrations. 

I arrive home in East London for about 5pm and open an  invite to The Authors’  Awards  at The Cavalry and Guards Club in Piccadilly.   There’s  a package from my publishers:   an audio book of  Sum,  Tales From The Afterlives by David Eagleman.   On the front it reads “You will not read a  more dazzling book this year”  Stephen  Fry.  And he’s right.  

The readers of the audiobook are Gillian Anderson, Emily  Blunt, Nick Cave, Jarvis Cocker, jack Davenport, Lisa Dwan, David Eagleman,  Noel Fielding, Kerry Fox, Stephen Fry, Clarke Peters, Lemn Sissay and Harriet  Walter.

It’s late. The suite is dry cleaned.  I was going to buy a new one – I should have –   but I couldn’t make it to the place where I buy my suites. I have been trying for weeks. Still,  that’s another matter.     Tomorrow morning I’m off to  Buckingham Palace to receive my MBE from The Queen.  I could be the first Habesha born in the UK to receive an MBE if not then  the first Habesha writer to receive one?  That, at least, makes me proud.