The overseas visitors I looked after as head honcho at Penguin Books at the very first International Festival of the Arts in Wellington way back in 1986 were author David Lodge and poet Craig Raine.

I was therefore especially interested in the interview with David Lodge in The Observer this past Sunday.

NICE WORK

He may be a self-confessed neurotic, but his genius at turning small personal tragedies into the stuff of humour have made him one of Britain's best-loved comic writers.

Here, he talks to Rachel Cooke about his depression and deafness - the subject of his new novel - and about his faith in the healing powers of a loving marriage.

Poor David Lodge. The standard way to begin an interview with the author of our most hilarious postwar novels - and why should I be any exception? - is to remark that, in person, he is, well, not exactly a hoot. Jokes? He makes none. Nor does he resemble the most famous and well-loved of his characters, Professors Morris Zapp and Philip Swallow, who tend to be a bit randy, even if they cannot always get their way, what with modern women being so difficult and demanding and generally elusive.

For the full interview/story link to The Observer here.