*Taps glass* Ladies, gentlemen and dead guys . . . unaccustomed as I am to public speaking . . . *Drops papers on the floor*. Ah, sod this for a game of soldiers! Let's forget the formalities . . .
Allow me to interrupt briefly your festive activities, whatever they may be, to wish you all season's greetings. I'm beetling off for two days with a pile of books stashed about my person. There's Joseph O'Neill's Netherland (I want to see how someone can mix 9/11 and cricket), the Killer Year anthology which has finally reached the UK, Akashic's new Paris Noir anthology (blimey, there are some French writers in there by the look of it!) and the new Dennis Lehane.
So enjoy your turkey, nut roast and mince pies, eat any chocolate that comes your way, and I'll see you on New Year's Day when I get to mull over my books of the year.
Your very good health, all!
