Gilbert's Glory

This week, on the run up to the Centenary (29 May), I suddenly seem to be everywhere. I was interviewed for a series which is on BBC Radio 4 all this week, Gilbert's Glory--an excellent set of programmes with a good range of talking heads and a proper celebratory tone. I almost cheered when Mike Leigh said, clearly and boldly, that Gilbert should be in Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey! His tone was defiant enough to make it a talking point if we want.

I guess it may be possible that people will find this blog if they're looking for info about my biopgraphy after hearing the programme. Possible, not probable. But just in case, yes, my name is Andrew Crowther, and yes, I have written a new biography of Gilbert (some of the new info is used in Gilbert's Glory). The book's title is Gilbert of Gilbert and Sullivan (hence the blog title). It's a really good book and you should buy it now and if you're a journalist you should review it now. Favourably. You can find it on Amazon here.

On Monday I did my talk at the Redbridge Book and Media Festival, at Hainault Library. A good turnout--about 30--and the talk went well, with a very lively Q&A session afterwards. Nick Dobson, who organised the event, is lovely and charming. We drove there and back; by the end of Tuesday I was exhausted, even though it was my girlfriend who was driving!

A discussion which I had with Thos Ribbits and Jerry Pinel back in April is now available as a podcast. I haven't had the courage to listen to it yet, but I remember it as being very lively.

Well, all this is very nice and gratifying. If there's nothing about the book in the papers this weekend I'll a) get very depressed; b) feel angry and frustrated; c) not feel very surprised; and d) publish here some of the material which I have offered to a famous Sunday paper without them even bothering to reply.