Thursday, July 23, 2009

And the winner is....

Mes Amis

Greetings from (not so) sunny Harrogate where I seem to have developed a mutant ability to avoid the downpours that have been starting and stopping all day.

The journey here was uneventful and only eighteen minutes late. However, I am confused by York station who do not have rubbish bins anywhere. Nope, I was told by a guard just to drop my litter and someone would pick it up!

The big news of the night, of course, is that Mark Billingham won the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the year. Very well done to him and all the shortlistees! Although are fourteen writers really a shortlist?

Other than that, we're talking the usual bouts of drinking (well not so much for me – taking it easy, don't'cha'know) eating (Mmmm... burritos) and general mayhem. Met thriller writer Matt Hilton earlier today in the company of man about mystery Ali Karim and Ali's family who all seem to agree that I look like Ricky Gervais. I still don't know if this is a good thing. Also present were the ever charming Declan Hughes, the ever terrifying John Rickards and the exceedingly jetlagged* Stuart MacBride.

Lots of discussions about the state of the genre including one topic which I will be talking about on a new grog** next week if all goes according to plan. But for now I am going to sleep.

Au revoir

Russel
*He just came back from Australia where he saw a lot of kangaroos.
** That's a group blog. Yes, I'm up to some shennanigans and hanging around with some very bad influences. More info as it becomes available!

2 comments:

Ali Karim said...

Good Seeing you Ricky...sorry Russel - And hey the family thoughyt you were cool, but you led me astray, started drinking way to early....And thanks for THE GOOD SOON, excellent

Ali

Russel said...

Ali - - good to meet the family and I do hope they weren't dissapointed that I *wasn't* Ricky Gervais moonlighting under another name!

And I led you astray??? I wasn't even drinking that day! I take no responsibility :-)

Hope you enjoy the book!