DBC Pierre is going to talk publicly with John Mullan, professor of English at University College London, about Vernon God Little, his debut novel, which won the Man Booker Prize in 2003. The talk will take place, says the Web site of The Guardian, on Wednesday November 29 at the Newsroom, 60 Farringdon Road, London EC1R 3ER.

If anybody in London is in the area, it would be great if you could make a recording of the talk, and e-mail it to me. Or, alternatively, just go along, take some notes and blog about it. That would be really great.

Vernon was on sale when I was in the city in early October, during my holidays. I spied the copies of this wonderful novel sitting, disconsolately, on the floor near the down stairs on the ground floor of Borders in Pitt Street. I was surprised, I must say, to see the book priced at a discount, especially following its ecstatic reception. Global sales of the novel, including translations into 43 languages, are healthy at around 1.5 million. That's a lot of books. In Australia, where Peter Finlay was born — around the same time as I was — he has been reclaimed as a native son.

I've seen him in action twice. Both times he came across as genuine and interesting. He drank martinis during both talks (both times with Caro Llewellyn, who has gone off to greener pastures now) and answered questions politely and with sincerity. A really nice guy.

Of course, that shouldn't put you off. Hmm. He's really a terrible person and is bound to bite the heads off some people with the temerity to put curly ones to him.

Better?