is what I have before me. It starts tomorrow in Swindon, before heading cross-country to Lincoln for a talk the following afternoon. Obviously the drive isn’t that far but it takes a while to pack up the show and get my entourage loaded up – think several coaches emblazoned with the book’s cover, in-coach sleeping areas, dieticians, a make-up team, pyrotechnics, sound engineers etc. In Lincoln I’ll be talking about eccentrics rather than groups, and the following day the nationwide tour marches on London for a homecoming gig at the Big Green Bookshop. Very much hope to see you at one of these.

p.s. turns out that some authors really do live like this. Here’s the bus used by Eoin Colfer, author of the Artemis Fowl books (image from babygotbooks blog).

there’s a Guardian review of Together here, from yesterday’s Review.

price was paid last night for the work of the Saudi artist I’m currently writing about. Abdulnasser Gharem’s Message/Messenger went for $700,000 at the first Christie’s auction of the year in Dubai. Apparently this is the highest price ever paid at auction for the work of a living Arab artist.

His last work sold at Christie’s for just over $8,000.

Abdulnasser is also a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Saudi Arabian Army.

Here’s the piece: