On Thursday morning on Euston Road in central London I was walking a few feet behind a blind man. He was swinging his white cane as if it were a lead on an hyperactive terrier. It was distressing to see. Ahead the tree embedded in the pavement slanted backwards towards us as if pushed by a hurricane.
Read MoreBy Friday a pile of letters from all quarters, from Judges and politicians, arrive upon my desk in congratulations for the gong. I’m so proud. But the lion sleeps. An interest in my biography arrives from a major publisher, another. I need a literary agent - someone who can deal with books and publisher enquiries and commissions. Help.
Read MoreAfterwards on Sunday night I drove through darkness to a secret location in London - a friend’s house. She passed me a black briefcase.... I clicked the golden latches and they flicked upwards. I opened slowly, slowly opened the case and out poured a shaft of golden light. It bathed my face as I looked on in wonder.
Read MoreGil Scott Heron will be coming to Southbank Centre in April on his European tour. It is a highlight of my residency at Southbank that he will be performing in my home. His comeback was first announced nationally in my BBC radio documentary Pieces of A Man in march 2009 after visiting him in New York.
Read MoreI wave goodbye and outside the shop I watch an old old Jamaican man struggle and lean forward against a near blizzard as he crosses the busy interscection. Sometimes I see people and think of mortality.
Read MoreAnd finally Jude Kelly the artistic director of Southbank Centre and my residency sponsored by The Paul Hamlyn Foundation has made all of what is here possible and the following. In six hours time I shall be named an MBE for services to literature.
Read MoreContext is relative and relativity a factor of memory: ever heard the memory trick in how to recall your pin number by unconnected images. I am often advised by the well meaning not to assume that families are great when in fact I don’t. I just value memory is all. But why make it public?
Read MoreI first met Lemn when he was 17 years old – a young care leaver, living in a tiny flat in Wigan, so bereft of any sense of home, the emptiness was palpable.
Read MoreI met a gentle heroine of mine - Cathy Tyson a wonderful actor who recently visited Ethiopia and whom I have secretly been a fan of for many years. She said she was a fan of mine too. But I am sure she was just being nice.
Read MoreThis morning at 8.10am my friend of nearly twenty years the tv producer and presenter David Akinsanya and I cycle the regents canal to Angel Islington. We are here to meet Clare Tickell and Vivien Fowle of Action for Children.
Read MoreAs Southbank centre artist in residence I have given approximately seventy thousand pounds to new and/or developing artists.
Read MoreMaybe Mothers Day is connected to the other most significant day of this year: Sunday is the first Day of Spring.
Read MoreI turn only to be confronted by two police officers “What’s your problem” says a female officer with no trace of irony. My brain slips what is this?
Read MoreHighlights of my week? Spending time (the journalist and I) with Anita Anand and Simon Singh was pretty wonderful. Seeing Marcus Brigstock in the Cape Farewell offices was a blast. Lovely man.
Read MoreHere’s a little Summary of 2008. Throughout I have been artist in residence at The Southbank centre supported by The Paul Hamlyn Foundation.
Read MoreThese young homeless people are living in the shadow of the south bank yet most of them have never visited. How can I get them to the south bank? How can I get them to meet other artists of their age? How can I get them to contact and connect? How can I at least provide what may be a fleeting and what could be a lasting impression of contact with the arts
Read MoreThese are some of the off record Highlights from Monday to Friday, that it are easy to miss in the blog. The blog seems to be developing into a record of events. Event happens backstage as much as front stage. If you change the word "events" for the word "life" the last sentence works the same.
Read MoreOn Sunday 15 June, US President George W. Bush is visiting London as part of his valedictory world tour, and will be having tea with the Queen and dinner with Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
Read MoreThe journalist has an article in the national newspaper she works for and it highlights the event that she asked me for earlier the week. I call her and say “yes” I really want to go. It’s a black tie affair. The black national screen awards this following Monday. But it’s too late. On Tuesday of this week I said that I didn’t want to go. It must have been connected to the queens gala that I couldn’t go to either. She’d already asked someone else this morning. Nyaaaaaaggghhhhhhh.
Read MoreI then scoot around the corner to SOHO to meet Henry Normal one of british television most successful independent television producers. We are discussing 24 hour party people? – the question mark is important. It’s an event of writers from Manchester that I am putting on at The South Bank on November 9th.Henry Normal is a poet, a millionaire poet at thatWe used to tour together – in less fiscally abundant days - with guitarist and now lead singer of a band called I am Kloot, Johnny Bramwell, then called Johnny Dangerously. They were special days which Henry remembers with pleasure. To now be sat with both the poet and film producer – he has made most of the hit Steve Coogan films – is a treat.
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