OCCASIONALLY, BECAUSE I AM known as a man of letters about town in literary London – and also, maybe, from writing a books column – publishers and literary agents send me books, in the hope that I will provide a quote for the cover, or alternatively, perhaps, mention them in this very newspaper.

…read more

I AM AN INCREDIBLE LOSER. Now before you think, “at last, he’s reached a point of self-awareness”, I don’t mean that I’m someone at whom you look and know straight away that they used to wee their pants at school. I mean that I’m incredibly bad —or incredibly good, depending on how you look at it — at losing things. I’m particularly bad with anything portable — keys, phones, wallets, tickets, jewellery, watches. Basically, if it isn’t something I can nail to myself (and, despite sometimes liking to think of myself as King of the Jews, there aren’t that many objects I can do that with), I know as soon as something comes into my possession that it has a short half-life before it will disintegrate into the ether.

…read more