The Well-Tempered Clavier

Finally, late yesterday afternoon, I got hold of Idle Tom the Publisher. Finally I was able to discover who was the UK’s Young Publisher of the Year 2008.
 
"How did you get on?" I asked Idle Tom.
 
"Lost again," he said. Sounding a bit flat. "Lost it to some woman who produces Manga Shakespeare."
 
"Manga Shakespeare? What the […]

Up all night on Tuesday - tense with anticipation about yesterday’s announcement of the UK’s Young Publisher of the Year.
Given all that I’ve written about him in the past, it must seem slightly unbelievable that Idle Tom the Publisher was even in the running.
But, as I spoke to Idle Tom over breakfast yesterday morning, he […]

Today’s the day that, come this afternoon, Idle Tom the Publisher will find out if he is indeed Britain’s youngest publisher.
 
Britain’s youngest publisher? Surely he’s already got it in the bag!
 
"No Bill," he said. Sort of patiently. "It’s not a competition to find out who is Britain’s youngest publisher."
 
"Isn’t it?? I thought you said you […]

 
This was Divine - from Stamford Hill - who’d come out specially on Saturday to hear about The Well-Tempered Clavier. Quite what she made of the book, I have no idea. I hope she enjoyed herself; certainly looks happy enough.
 
One of the pleasures of doing these events is that I get to hear, face to […]

Stamford Hill, Hackney - home to one of Britain’s largest communities of Orthodox Jews. Idle Tom the publisher was particularly taken with the men’s hats, about the size of a car wheel and furry.
 
"Funny hats ain’t they?" said Tom. "Do you think they keep their shopping in them?"
 
"They’re called shtreimel," I said. "The married guys […]

Idle Tom the Publisher calls to check that I’m suitably keyed up for Hackney library this Saturday.
 
I most certainly am.
 
And then he went off at a complete tangent. Turns out he’s worried. Very worried.
 
"Been reading your blog, Bill," he said.
 
"Do you like it?"
 
"Well …" I could hear him doing something crackly on the other end […]

Idle Tom the Publisher has been beavering - beavering - away on my behalf. No stone has been left unturned in Idle Tom’s quest to shift a few more copies of The Well-Tempered Clavier.
 
Let me see now … well he’s lined up a gig for me at Hackney library on Saturday.
 
And some sort of signing […]

I don’t know why, but some authors - and indeed some politicians - feel the need to answer every single question that comes their way.
 
What on earth is wrong with a stout "No comment"?
 
Take the Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg, for instance. No-one but a total moron would ever reveal in public how many lovers […]