RIP Prospero

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…

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…

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…

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…