Well, here I am again. Spent the last few weeks driving around Crete, looking at different areas to live in. The search ended abruptly, though, when I saw this: That’s the view from the balcony of what is now my apartment. I’ve been staring at it more or less continuously for the last few days. [...]
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If you liked my book…
I just found out that A Virtual Love has been shortlisted for the People’s Book Prize. The winner is determined by popular vote, and I’m up against some stiff competition, such as Taiye Selasi’s highly praised novel Ghana Must Go. So ...
We could take a train, be miles away by morning…
There was a song that Genie and I used to listen to in our early days together, as we drove around America getting to know both the country and each other. The lyrics went: At the time, we never could just take a train. We always had to be back in the office on Monday [...]
Ten years ago: Voluntary poverty in New York City
30th April 2003 A young Japanese woman with purple hair tripped along First Street, clutching to her chest all the books that she couldn’t fit in her fashionably miniscule backpack. A graffiti-covered computer keyboard dangled cryptically from a lamppost. Two small dogs yapped and strained at their leashes as they passed each other, almost escaping [...]
Some interviews
I’ve been interviewed on a few book blogs lately, talking about my new novel A Virtual Love, and also my writing in general. If you’re interested, here are the links: Manchester book blogger The Workshy Fop asked me about the political dimensions of the book, and about my views on blogging and internet culture Ghanaian-born, [...]
Giveaway: Granta Best of Young British Novelists 2003
The announcement this week of Granta’s Best of Young British Novelists 2013 reminded me that I have a spare copy of the collection from 2003, featuring young talents like Zadie Smith, Monica Ali, Adam Thirlwell, Hari Kunzru and David Mitchell. If you’d like me to send a free copy to you, just leave a comment [...]
How to Improve your Foreign Language Immediately
This is a very slim book – just 95 pages – and yet it comes with a big promise in the title and big endorsements from Shekhtman’s former students in places like The New York Times and The Pentagon. Surprisingly, the book does deliver on its promise. Shekhtman’s technique is not to improve your language [...]
