I learned recently of the demise of Prospero’s Books, my local independent bookshop in Crouch End. It made me very sad – it was a great bookshop, with knowledgeable staff who were always very supportive of me and of other local writers. I was even on their bestseller list for a while. The strange thing [...]

Roelof Bakker, ‘Still’, Hornsey Town Hall
Just wanted to give a belated mention to a really good photography exhibition in Crouch End recently. It was a series of photographs of Hornsey Town Hall, an Art Deco listed building that has been minimally used for a long time now. After Hornsey was absorbed into the larger borough of Haringey in the 1960s, [...]

Rumours of the death of bookshops
I got depressed about bookshops recently. A great little London literary magazine, Smoke, has just published its last issue. The editor/founder Matt Haynes explained: Of the hundred-odd shops that stocked our early issues, well over half have now closed. And when Borders ceased trading just before Christmas, we lost not only more than 25% of [...]

Mention in Time Out
My book got a small spot in this week’s Time Out, in the “Battle of the Books” feature…

My book is a bestseller*
* in Crouch End. Hey, it may not be the New York Times bestseller list, but it made me proud when I walked past my local bookshop, Prospero’s Books, and saw my book at #4 on the Bestsellers Chart. I even asked someone to take a photo. Come on, it’s probably the last time in [...]

Sheer egoism
Yes, I went around bookshops looking for my book on the shelves. And I started taking photos of it… OK, so it’s not very cool. It’s not something I could picture Salman Rushdie or Iam McEwan doing. But I enjoyed it!

RIP Pick More Daisies
My favourite cafe in Crouch End, the cafe where I wrote most of my novel On the Holloway Road, has just put up a notice saying it has fallen victim to the credit crunch and closed down. It was a shock to me. The place was perfect for writing. It had friendly staff, American-diner-style bottomless coffee, [...]
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“The Sense of an Ending” by Julian Barnes
19 September 2011
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The Sense of an Ending, explained
2 May 2012
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Introducing “A Virtual Love”, coming to a bookshop near you in Spring 2013
12 March 2012
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Finding some inspiration
15 February 2012
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Beauty is a sleeping cat
26 April 2012
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Test of stamina at Bim Literary Festival, day two
21 May 2012
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Earl Lovelace at Bim Literary Festival
18 May 2012
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Austin Clarke at Bim Literary Festival
18 May 2012
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Learning from Derek Walcott: Bim Literary Festival, day one
18 May 2012
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Great opportunity for unpublished UK writers
14 May 2012
- Learning from Derek Walcott: Bim Literary Festival, day one | Andrew Blackman: [...] else that’s on your mind! Update: I...
- Austin Clarke at Bim Literary Festival | Andrew Blackman: [...] there simply isn’t a big enough book-b...
- Earl Lovelace at Bim Literary Festival | Andrew Blackman: [...] He also spoke about the role of women in his...
- Test of stamina at Bim Literary Festival, day two | Andrew Blackman: [...] That’s it! I realise this post was a t...
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Andrew Blackman: Thanks! I also heard good things about I Tituba (y...
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- Test of stamina at Bim Literary Festival, day two
- Earl Lovelace at Bim Literary Festival
- Austin Clarke at Bim Literary Festival
- Learning from Derek Walcott: Bim Literary Festival, day one
- Great opportunity for unpublished UK writers
- How to write a book review
- How writers generate ideas
- The Sense of an Ending, explained
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