I’m in Chelmsford at Shire Hall in Tindall Square. It’s late afternoon and we are launching a book by looked after children. Below is my introduction to Don’t Judge A Book By The Cover published Read more [...]

Nicholas Lezard’s Guardian review of the dark fiction Beside The Sea by Veronique Olmi about infanticide originally published to great acclaim in France and Germany in 2001 ends with the words Read more [...]

I’m in Devon near Totnes by a village called Sheepwash. It doesn’t get more rural unless I were a sheep having a wash in a field near a village called sheepwash. The roof of the farmhouse is thatched Read more [...]

A literature festival should hit the zeitgeist. Publishers naturally want their authors to shine, to create, be part of, or further the zeitgeist. Successful books occur like fireworks. They suspend Read more [...]

On Sunday I visited the Enfield store of Maplins for an ariel to boost my wifi but at home the connecting lead was incompatible with my router so on Monday morning, Independence Day, I took it back Read more [...]

This is a run hundred metre dash of my week. Monday. 10am. London central. I’m at the Union Learn conference for the TUC at Congress Hall in Great Russell St. I cycle cause I think cycling’s Read more [...]

Carlos Moore is the official biographer and friend of the late great Fela Kuti. We met in November 2010 at The Market Theatre in Johannesburg where Carlos showed me the facsimile of the legal action Read more [...]

Board coup leads to chaos in poets corner proclaims the London evening standard’s diary on June 7th. But much of their article is factually incorrect. It says 'The poetry society has just lost Read more [...]

I've spent the past five days as poet in residence at Grassington Festival in the Yorkshire Dales. My time has been used well. I gave three performances. One at an ecumenical service, one at the theatre, Read more [...]

I'm artist in residence at Grassington Festival. Been here a few days in the heart of The Yorkshire Dales, prime beef producing country and its burger night in the village. At 5pm I’m there Read more [...]