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Degrees
My fixed degrees of desperation:
So my agent is Simon Trewin (left) at United Agents. He's kind of like Ari Gold from Entourage, but with a better line in suits. If he is Ari Gold, then I'm probably Johnny Drama. Simon sells my books to Penguin in the UK, occasionally to Bloomsbury too. Once he gave one to the Latin American Bureau, but we try not to talk about that.
In the States, my books are looked after by Jim Rutman at Sterling Lord. Jim isn't like any of the characters from Entourage. He is, however, a bit like Dutch from The Shield. I mean this as a compliment, because I like Dutch and I think Jim's great. He sells my books to Riverhead mostly (also a bit of Penguin). They must be doing a good job as 'City Of Tiny Lights' was nominated for both an Edgar and an LA Times Book Award and 'Where You're At' won an NBCC Award for criticism. The citation was read in the form of a rap. That was so cool ...
My work is translated into lots of other languages. Generally, I don't have much contact with the foreign publishers but I have developed a particular fondness for Rogner & Bernhard in Germany, Intervalles in France and Dejadora in Serbia (apparently I'm 'Patrik Nit' over there. So that's fun).
When I'm not writing books, I'm mostly hanging out with other novelists. We tell each other how important we are and bemoan the crimintal neglect of our talent by the wider culture. Some of the writers I do this with include Bernardine Evaristo, Hari Kunzru, Irvine Welsh, Will Boyd, Diran Adebayo, Toby Litt, Maggie Gee, Graham Joyce, Sophie Woolley, Marina Lewycka and Louise Dean. Some of them don't even know I'm hanging out with them. But I am.
I like to write poetry in my spare time (after all, no-one could call that a job), so I know a lot of poets
too. They allow me to patronise them and in return I buy them a cup of tea or coffee. Some poets I patronise include Francesca Beard, Roger Robinson and Zena Edwards. I don't listen to music any more, but when I do I mostly listen to Netsayi (right). I don't go to clubs and more, but when I do they're mostly run by Charlie Dark. I can't rollerskate, but if I could, I might go to Skatebitch because it's run by my partner in crime Elliott (although I still hate his use of casual misogyny to try and inject a dose of glamour to a roller disco - sorry, Ell, irony's not an excuse). I don't watch much TV, but if I did I'd watch 'Peep Show', because it's written by my old friend Sam, and 'No Heroics', because it's written by my marginally newer friend, Drew. A propos of nothing, Sam once convinced his mum I was a drug dealer and she's never quite looked at me the same since.
I also run Book Slam. It's London's best night of words and music. It really is. I'm not quite sure how that happened. Listen to the podcast and you'll get a reasonable idea of what it's all about.
Sometimes I teach at the Arvon Foundation. Sometimes I ask the Arts Council for money. Once, I was a guest director at the Cheltenham Literature Festival. It was a great honour.
I try and support people who make the world a better place. In my experience, that's frequently a subjective judgement. Perhaps it's fortunate, therefore, that my support mostly takes the form of cheerleading. Those for whom I shake my pompoms include Fight For Peace (left), AfroReggae, Plan, The Refugee Council and NCH.
If, having read all this, you think you should be included as one of my vital connects, let me know. If, on the other hand, you've decided it's time you took your friendship elsewhere, you can tell me that too.
