Woody's new first lady

Carla Bruni-Sarkozy 

Model, singer, First Lady ... now actress! Carla Bruni-Sarkozy will be starring in Woody Allen's next film. Let's see how she fares at that one.

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A Royal Visit ...

King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia of Spain 

The joke at this end is that the King and Queen of Spain are visiting Malta to discuss my marriage to one of their citizens ... which - much as I love my partner - is highly unlikely. The true reason for the royal couple's visit - according to The Times of Malta - is to sign six agreements between the two countries.

Best behaviour please, otherwise I'll never hear the end of it.

No Retouching on Pirelli

Terry Richardson photographs Marloes Horst for Pirelli 2010

Even better news than the one that Terry Richardson (one of the coolest men existing, in my eyes) has photographed the Pirelli calendar is that the photographs will not be retouched, so those who are lucky enough to lay their hands on a copy (not yours truly, unfortunately) will be able to see the likes of Marloes Horst, Daisy Lowe, Lily Cole and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley as raw (and as sexy) as they come. The Telegraph has published a selection of pics, though they have been cropped for "family safe viewing!!

So Faye ...

Faye Dunaway, 1977, by Terry O'Neill

Someone mentioned Faye Dunaway on Facebook this morning and I can never hear her name without thinking of the fabulous photograph shot by Terry O'Neill (who was later to become her husband) at the Beverly Hills Hotel the morning after she won her Best Actress Award at the Oscars for her role in Network. As far as morning after pics go, you can't really get any better!

Where Marc Goes ...

Marc Jacobs 

Has Marc Jacobs finally succeeded in setting a trend which many have tried to push, but failed? H&M's ss2010 lookbook features skirts for men. Enough said.

At the AMA's

Lady Gaga at the American Music Awards

Gaga rocked
Lambert shocked
and J-Lo had a little tumble

Am I Going Gaga for the Lady?

A couple of days ago, the blogger Tavi asked: HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT LADY GAGA? It’s a question I’ve been pondering a lot lately, ever since I saw her video for Bad Romance - the first track from the album The Fame Monster - in fact. It’s been a long time since I watched a music video three times in a row – which is exactly what I did with this one - and then found myself going back onto YouTube and watching over and over again. And I’m a 42 year-old man, which technically puts me way out of her target demographic.

I admit: I hated her at first sight. It was about a year - possibly two - ago, and I saw a picture of her on one of the freebies you pick up outside the tube station in London. She was photographed stepping out of a recording studio in the bitterest of winters wearing a skimpy outfit, and I thought, Oh Christ, another one!

I take it back! This much time later, she has grown on me to the point where I think that we possibly could have found the 21^st century version of that other Italo-American icon we love to hate and hate to love, Madonna. She’s definitely got the energy, the balls and the ability to create a visual persona that sets apart the mediocre from the ones who will be there for a long time.  It is perhaps a disadvantage to her that these comparisons are made, but inevitable. If, as is the case with La Ciccone, gay boys hyperventilating at the very mention of your name are a measure of success, then it seems like the lady born as Stefani Germanotta has far to go.

And the music? Because it is, after all, all about the music? Again, at first I thought she would be yet another one of those one hit wonders but the last couple of singles are making me change my mind. I definitely think that Bad Romance is a great song. It’s dark, it’s sexy, and it makes you – or at least it made me – want to dance – which is always a plus.  And she writes – or co-writes – a lot of the stuff herself, another point to her advantage.

I suppose what will determine how she fares with me is the upcoming Monster Ball tour which kicks off in Chicago this week, and hits Europe early next year.  Unfortunately she won’t be visiting Spain, so I won’t be able to see her, but I’m sure I’ll be watching clips online. Possibly over and over again!

The Fame Monster is released tomorrow 23 November.

This Sounds Interesting ...

Important Artifacts and Personal Property from the Collection of Lenore Doolan and Harold Morris, Including Books, Street Fashion, and Jewelry

I hadn't planned it, but ended up having a BBC Radio 4 day today. Instead of clearing up the room that will one day act as our wardrobe, and cook lunch for a couple of friends (which was cancelled due to a hangover - theirs, not mine), I ended up spending most of my Sunday researching some pieces I have to write, and listening to the likes of The Archers, Desert Island Discs and, ehrm, Gardener's Question Time, with occasional peeps into  Facebook and Twitter to catch up with what is going on in the world. At about 4pm I went in for a nap, from which I woke up about half an hour later to that fabulous - if a bit overexposed - two-packs-a-day (actually I don't know if she smokes or not) voice of Mariella Frostrup on Open Book.

Frostrup's guest author today was Leanne Shapton, an American author, illustrator, art director and publisher (this is from her  website) who in February published what looks like an interesting book called Important Artifacts and Personal Property from the Collection of Lenore Doolan and Harold Morris, Including Books, Street Fashion, and Jewelry. The book, which comes in the form of an auction catalogue, deals with the failed relationship of the couple in the title, with each item in the sale - ranging from Post-its to fine art - having a particular significance to the couple's affair. It seems to have done well, and the film rights have already been acquired, with Brad Pitt and Natalie Portman being rumoured to play the lead roles.

I'm quite intrigued by this, so will order it at the first opportunity. Has anybody read it? Please comment 

The Unsolved Mystery of Madonna's Hat

The news this morning that Michael Jackson's glove sold for $350,000 makes me want to cry. No, no, not because of Michael - sorry as I was to hear of his untimely passing - but for me! Years ago, it must have been 1991 - at the peak of my Madonna phase - a friend of an Italian friend who was living with me at the time, moved to London and I put him up at mine for a few weeks until he found a job and settled in. I can't even remember his name, or what he looked like, but I do remember that his claim to fame was that he had picked up the hat Madonna had thrown during the Turin Who's That Girl gig. (Which was released on video then as Ciao Italia - see Madonna throw the hat at end of this clip http://www.youtube.com/user/xXazdesertboyXx#p/u/30/eBuPt88a7KY)

A few weeks later, he returned to Italy to pick up the rest stuff, including the hat, which he very sweetly gave to me as a gift for putting him up! As you can imagine, for years, the hat was like a piece of the Turin Shroud to me. Then, when I moved to London in 2001, I left it at my mother's house! Big mistake.

The hat has now disappeared, and nobody seems to know where it ended. I suspect that during one of the recent moves, my mum - never a big fan of Madonna, who she considers a bit of a floozy - must have thrown it out with the rest of the 'junk', as she once did with years worth of The Face, i-D and Blitz. To think that someday that hat could be worth lots of money breaks my heart . Not that I would have ever dreamt of getting rid of it, of course ....

Lopez and her Louboutins

Jennifer Lopez, at the MTV awards, in a ghastly dress, and Christian Louboutins.

No wonder shoe designer Christian Louboutin recently issued a statement saying that he would never stoop as low as doing a cheap range for the likes of H&M! Why would he, when his name is about to go even more global than H&M could ever take it thanks to J-Lo, whose next single - the first from her upcoming album Love - which she will premiere next Sunday at the American Music Awards - is called   Louboutins? 


Just to give you an idea of how big this is going to get, when J-Lo unofficially sanctioned Manolo Blahnik's sexed-up Timberland boots in her Jenny From The Block video in 2003, the style, which had been designed almost a decade earlier, had to be reissued, and supply couldn't meet up with demand.

Expect to see even more red soles, like, everywhere, which, unfortunately, could also be the kiss of death in terms of fashion credibility.

Someone's Pooping in My Crib

El caganer (front)

Here’s a festive question for you to ponder: what character would you least expect to find in a Christmas crib, alongside the new born baby Jesus, his virgin mother Mary, Joseph, the cow - or ox or whatever it is whose breathe kept them warm on that cold night in December- and the donkey, the three Magi, and perhaps a few shepherds?  OK, don't think too much about it. How about Barack Obama, Queen Elizabeth II, or Cristiano Ronaldo. Hello Kitty? Homer Simpson? The Michelin Man? Tin Tin? And if that wasn't incongruent enough, just to make it that a little bit weirder, why not have them squatting, with their pants down, as they excrete – or have just done so - a perfectly formed ring of poop. Actually, let’s cut the, ehrm, crap, and be straight about it, and call it ‘shit’, now that we're being scatological.

 el caganer (back) 

I’m not kidding! What I have just described is a modern take on a Catalan tradition that, according to Robert Hughes (in Barcelona, The Harvill Press,  1992, p 27, to be precise) dates back to the 16^th century and has been as much part of a Catalan crib as the manger since the 19^th century (as a portant of good luck, no less): the caganer (shitter). Originally, (as pictured) the caganer was always a man in Catalan  costume, but he has now been replaced by representations of figures of politics, sports and entertainment, as well as pop icons, as the whole thing has acquired a bit of a satirical edge.

Since new figures are added annually according to has been in the headlines, this year’s star caganer ,  reports La Vanguardia, is Felix Millet, the ex-Director of The Palau de la Musica Catalana, who has been in the news since last July, following his involvement in a scandal at the Palau that involves the disappearance involves millions of euros.

It's definitely a lot more fun than the Christmas fairy!

Updated caganers on sale in a Barcelona shop (excluding Mary, Joseph and The Three Magi)

See more handmade caganers at http://www.caganer.com

RIP Daul Kim.

Daul Kim in a recent i-D spread. 

Sad news: model agency Next have confirmed that model Daul Kim was found dead in Paris this morning. The cause of the 20 year old model's death is not yet confirmed but there is talk of suicide. A statement issued by the agency says:  "She was a top model and a great friend to all of us at Next. Please respect her family’s privacy at this time of sadness. We will all miss her very much." 

Don't forget ...

Scott Schuman, aka The Sartorialist    (http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/) will be signing copies of his book tonight between 6.45pm and 8pm at:


Pasarela Restaurant
AP-7/Salida 12 "Cardedeu"
La Roca Village

A Call For Unity Against Censorship

The Realta' Collective is calling for all organizations, groups and all citizens to join the Front Against Censorship which will start lobbying to remove outdated laws,  abolish censorship once and for all and bring about artistic freedom. The Collective believes that the limitations to freedom of speech which are being set up with moralistic and religious justifications are unacceptable in a time and age where the freedom of speech and artistic freedom are values, widely accepted in the European Union. 2009 is ironically the Year of Creativity and Innovation of the EU but for Malta, 2009 is the year of censorship and suppression of the arts. The Collective is here linking the official Proposals which will in the end abolish the censorship regime and is urging all of civil society to back them up so as to exert, strong pressure on Parliament to adopt them.

http://www.facebook.com/l/2693f;realtamadwarek.org/ir-realta/Front%20Against%20Censorship.doc

The Proposals mentioned in the document are necessary to abolish censorship but the organizations and citizens who join the Front have the liberty to discuss it with the other members and also propose other Proposals in order to improve the document.

When a considerable number of organizations and citizens join the Front, a press conference would be called to announce the beginning of a progressive movement which will be a stalwart defender of freedom of speech and artistic freedom.

In the meantime the Collective has asked for the University Ombudsman to condemn the banning of Ir-Realta’ Issue 8 by the Rector and the University Authorities with an official letter. The letter clearly states that their actions breached the Student Charter.

What modern architecture is all about.

Work in progress: Hadid's MAXXI will open in April 2010

Here are links to a articles on The Guardian and The Times about Zaha Hadid's MAXXI museum in Rome:

 http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2009/nov/16/zaha-hadid-maxxi-rome

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/visual_arts/architecture_and_design/article6918875.ece

Objects of total lust and desire

If I had a regular income, some of it would surely be going on these 

Honestly, if you could hear the noises coming out of me at the sight of these little beauties you would have thought there was a porno movie being shot in this room, honestly. How badly do I want them to replace my beaten Adidas Stan Smiths? (which I still love btw). They're Pierre Hardy's s/s2010 Coloramas which come in a limited edition of 500 and are available to buy for €350 at Colette in Paris. They almost make me want to go back to have a well-paid full time job.

Buy them - and risk my hatred for the rest of your life - here http://www.colette.fr/#/eshop/article/275723/pierre-hardy/89/

Is it possible to not fall in love with Penelope Cruz?

Penelope on the night of her appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman

I can't help it! I'm head over heels in love with Penelope Cruz. It started off as a small crush when I first saw her in Bigas Luna's Jamon Jamon, slowly gathering momentum so that by the time she was Raimunda in Volver - which I have watched a squillion times, and will continue to do so for the rest of my life - it was a full-blown I-get-butterflies-in-my stomach-every-time-I-see-her kind of thing. She's now doing tons of press for Nine, the Rob Marshall musical in which she stars alongside Sofia Loren and Nicole Kidman and which should be opening very soon (watch trailer her http://www.apple.com/trailers/weinstein/nine/)

Yesterday, the lovely Pe appeared on The Late Show With David Letterman in the US. Here are two links from the show - unfortunately I can't find the whole thing on YouTube. In the second clip, watch her dodge Letterman's questions about her relationship with Javier Bardem. All I can say is: Lucky Man!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgaA-wR9OfY

http://www.cbs.com/late_night/late_show/

Will the SATC money mill EVER stop?

Brace yourselves for even more Sex and the City 

Oh dear, here we go again. As if the prospect of yet another Sex and The City movie wasn't enough, Perez Hilton has reported that Candace Bushnell, the author of the column that became a never-ending series that became two movies is now publishing a prequel to it all: The Carrie Diaries - "written" during Ms. Bradshaw's high school days. According to Hilton, the book will be released on 27 April, 2010, just before the new movie hits the theatres.

Is this not taking it a bit too far? 

Oh, and please, when the film version of that comes along, which I'm sure is bound to happen, DON'T let SJP play CB! Look at the picture below ...

SJP in Elle USA, December issue

Gigs I'd Like To Go To.

Estrella Morente

Estrella Morente at the Palau de la Musica Catalana, 08.01.10

Morente, next door, two days before my birthday ... It's got to happen! I've already seen her twice, but wouldn't mind a third helping.

https://www.telentrada.com/Telentrada/Compra+on-line/ci.Espectaculo+Estrella+Morente.compra

Arctic Monkeys

Arctic Monkeys at Sant Jordi Club, 06.02.10

I've been a fan of the Sheffield boys since the first album.

http://www.ticktackticket.com/entradas/goto.do?claves=.24662

Mika

Mika at Palau Sant Jordi, 18.04.10

I might be the oldest one there, but he does make me feel like I want to be a teenager again, so not that big a deal!

http://www.ticktackticket.com/entradas/goto.do?claves=.25568

An Addition To My Christmas Wishlist

Prada, the book

706 pages covering 30 years of Miuccia. Please! Pretty please!

http://www.prada.com/pradabook/index.html

Who is this woman?

Do you recognise this woman? If you do, please have her vocal chords pulled out

So there I was minding my own business (actually trying to work out whether one Maltese civil servant's inability to access this blog from her office was due to a general ban on blogs, or on this one for the use of Maltese vernacular for penis and vagina - it turned out to be the former) when I heard this female voice booming from outside. Now bear in mind that, being Maltese, I am used to booming voices, but this one was something else. Enough of a something else to make me rush to the balcony to see what was going on outside. Well, wouldn't you know, there's a deranged woman in a white shirt, tie and high heels chasing people round the square followed by a TV crew. Spanish TV is full of deranged women with booming voices, and they're usually getting hysterical about something or other, usually the private life of someone they've never even met. Honestly, TV here really does take crap TV to another level.

 One hour later, she's still there, and the voice is still booming round the square, and any minute now, I'm going to pee into a bucket and empty it onto her.

The Man Making Merlin’s Magic.

Chris Gruppetta has his moment on stage with Ms. Turner.

There are two very important things in Chris Gruppetta’s life – apart from his wife, and his son of course. Books, and Tina Turner. In fact, the first time we met was over lunch in London, when he was on his way to watch her perform live, and was so excited, he could hardly sit and eat. Much as I’d like to discuss his obsession with Ms. Turner, it’s his other favourite subject we’re here to talk about. Chris is the brain behind Merlin library, Malta’s leading publishing house, which publishes leading Maltese authors like Guze Stagno and Pierre Mejlak, as well as the phenomenally successful Fiddien trilogy. Straight out of the Malta Book Fair, I caught up with him to discuss Tsek-Tsik – his latest venture in promoting books and reading, censorship, and male genitalia in Maltese literature.

JF: Now that it's all over, how did it go at the Book Fair?

 CG:  Insofar as attendance and sales are concerned, it must have been one of the best years. Do keep in mind, however - that the Malta Book Fair is not a book fair as, for example, the London or Frankfurt ones are.

 JF:  In what way?

 CG:  The focus here is on sales: it's a family outing, and publishers and bookshops set up stalls to sell books. Which is fine, of course, but somewhat limiting. What interests me most - as a publisher - is having a showcase of my most interesting work.

 JF:  And you always have interesting work ... and interesting ways to promote it. This year you had Tsek-tsik, (note: a play on the Maltese word for “gossip”) which from what I hear was the highlight of the fair. Tell me about it.

 CG:  Actually it originated from the "bookstall" limitations. I wanted something that would allow me to showcase creativity in a fun way, without the constraints of a 3m x 21m stand with shelves and cash points etc. It's probably the first time that a book event was not linked to any particular book - ie. There was no direct commercial 'purpose' to it; we were in no way launching a book or promoting a particular title.Speakers were given total freedom, in fact they could - and some did - mention books by other publishers, and authors not published by us.

 JF:  So it's more about promoting literature, books and the creative process than a particular book...

CG:  Exactly. I adapted the format - with permission, of course - from the UK Society of Young Publishers Canon Tales, which I'd seen live last April at the London Book Fair. The concept of Tsek-tsik is: 10 speakers, each chose 15 images and spoke about each image for exactly 20 seconds. The slides were pre-programmed to turn over after 20 seconds, so there's no leeway - the idea being that no speaker would go on and on about one point, but move on, keeping it fast and varying.

 JF:  I take it that with that time span, no politicians were involved ;O)

 CG: LOL. No, they weren't! It was actually very challenging but instructive, even as a speaker (I was one of the 10 1/2 speakers). I realized when preparing my tsek-tsika, just how short 20 seconds are. I ended up editing and throwing out lots of superfluous bla bla

 JF:  Which is never a bad thing. My impression of Merlin is that of it being publishers of Maltese schoolbooks, but you seem to have changed all of that and brought it up to the 21st century, publishing established authors like Trevor Zahra and Mario Azzopardi as well as more groundbreaking authors, like Guze Stagno and Pierre Mejlak. How did that come about?

CG:  Traditionally, yes, we've been publishers since 1972 and focused on schoolbooks, but I've always thought it useless to complain that people don't read in Maltese, if we don't give them cutting-edge fiction with cutting-edge presentation and packaging on a par with foreign books. Authors like Pierre Mejlak and Clare Azzopardi began publishing with us when they were still very young and their careers were still on the launching pad, so to speak. If anything, I hope I've given them the creative freedom to experiment and find their own voice. The standing joke here at the office is that when faced with a choice between a 'good' project and a 'way out' one, we generally choose the 'way out' one

 JF:  A bold step, given the current publishing situation in Malta. I am referring of course to the Ir-Realta/Alex Vella Gera palaver.

 CG:  Don't even get me started on that. Thing is, things changed very late, very fast, in Malta. Stagno's Inbid ta' Kuljum, which was the first Maltese book to feature an abundance of explicit language and situations, wasn't published until 2001. I don't need to tell you how late that is, by European (and worldwide) standards. But since then, in only 8 years, we've moved forward at a very fast pace, so much so that I now refuse some manuscripts that are just about being explicit for the "shock effect" because frankly I find them boring and passé and gia visto (already seen). Obviously, some people in authority are not comfortable with this fast pace of change (not only in publishing of course, but more generally in the creative industries) and idiotic gestures such as the banning of Ir- Realta are the result. I'm upset not so much as by the Rector banning it on campus (stupid, of course, but ultimately I guess that's his jurisdiction), but by the fact that the police deemed fit to intervene and actually threaten the author and editor with criminal (!) proceedings for obscene libel. Incidentally, during Tsek-tsik, 3 speakers actually changed one of their slides at the last moment to screen a part of the text of AVG's story. That for me was cool as it made it a live, up-to-date event

 JF:  At least there was a lot of support about that. As a publisher do you find the current climate frustrating, or does it make you want to push the envelope even further?

 CG:  Definitely frustrating. Most of my friends and people in my age group have moved or are moving abroad, and I can't say I blame them. The worrying thing about the police involvement is that technically (as in, legally) of course they're right - the obscenity law is still on the statute books, as is the law making it a criminal offence to insult the RC religion. So where does that leave me as a publisher? There are no benchmarks. I mean, how many zbub (cocks) in a page does it take to make the 'grade' from simply 'vulgar' to 'obscene'? It's ridiculous, of course, but I'm not about to go back to publishing nice cozy stories about children frolicking in the countryside and having high tea with mum, while dad is off working.

JF:  God that would be terrible ... I'd like to see as many zbub and ghoxux (cunts) as possible.

 CG:  LOL

 JF:  That’s why I loved Stagno's Ramon u iz-Zerbinotti! I hadn't read a Maltese book in years and here suddenly was this book in which the characters spoke exactly as people in Malta speak

 CG:  Exactly. Ramon and his friends speak just like we used to speak at school, and do and think and watch the things boys all over the world do at that age.

 JF:  It was very refreshing to read …

 CG:  Even the AVG story merely portrays the language and mentality of many guys - I've heard those exact same descriptions from people I know, many times - as I'm sure everyone else has.

 JF:  I told AVG that in my conversation with him ... I've come across so many men who think like that character; it came as no shock whatsoever

 CG:  Last Saturday at the Book Fair there was a talk/seminar about censorship and I was one of the speakers, and that's exactly what I was saying: it's sad that in 2009 we're actually still having these conversations, about whether adults should be allowed to read explicit language

 JF:  ... and women! I’m completely driven insane by the fact that they’re saying that it’s offensive to women. It’s so archaic and patronizing.

 CG:  Especially since no woman seems to have complained about it! But it's equally sad that many people haven't spoken up in public. Everyone grumbles privately, of course, but how many 'official' persons have you seen writing to the papers denouncing it?

JF:  To me that was even more shocking ... The fact that student bodies like KSU eventually issued a statement that they didn't want to be involved in the debate or something along those lines.

 CG:  I believe the KSU president said he refused to even read the story! I know it's obvious, but where do you draw the line? If we allow this episode to pass, what happens when next time someone censors a story that's critical of, say, the government?

 JF:  Yes, that's what it was. It's good that at least the issue of censorship was brought up in the Book Fair, rather than not even address it

 CG:  Yes, to their credit the Book Fair organisers dedicated the Saturday evening to it. But the turnout for the event was 25 people!

 JF:  That’s sad

 CG:  And of course almost everyone in the audience was involved in the arts, so not really 'general public'

 JF:  Yes, the general public is quite apathetic ... that's one of the frustrations about Malta ... it’s complain, complain, complain but no action

 CG:  That's why I brought it up on the Thursday night because I knew there'd be a good-sized audience.

 JF:  You’re very good at promoting your books. There's always an event tied up to them. You’re good at creating a buzz.

 CG:  Thing is, it's not easy to justify the spend when marketing budgets on books are minuscule, so that forces you to be creative. But yes, I disagree with the purists who want books to feel 'elitist' and above 'marketing gimmicks'. I'm often accused of 'cheapening' literature by associating books and launches to fun. The truth is that in Malta the typical book launch will consist of a panel of 'experts' reading pre-written speeches of 6-7 pages, to a yawning audience. I refuse to do that. Apart from the fact that even from a practical point of view, it's preaching to the converted and financially useless. I want people who haven't read a Maltese book in years, to come to the launches and have fun -then, they might say 'ah, perhaps this isn't so boring. Let's give it a go'

 JF:  I totally agree with that. That's what happened to me with Stagno. It was the pencil case that did it!

 CG:  Exactly. I mean, the pencil case was a gimmick, obviously. But it got you to want to have a look at the book. Obviously, then it's up to the text to be up-to-scratch. Even at the Book Fair, we got people talking of marketing as if it were some 4-letter word. I admit it's marketing, obviously, but what on earth is wrong with that? I mean, at Mejlak's launch, we had 4 artists in the background doodling onto an overhead projector - one of them, Austin Camilleri was actually burning plastic on the projector!

 JF: The notion, as you say, is that books and literature are only for the elite ... I suppose it helps keep the establishment comfortable on its pedestal

CG:  Yes, yes and yes. In fact it's been parts of the establishment who didn't come out publicly against the AVG censorship. The funny thing of course, is that now some of them are approaching me to publish one of their books and give it the 'Merlin' treatment (marketing-wise). The irony...

 JF:  Typical ... you should force them to include zbub in their texts

 CG:  Haha, probably they'd argue that their zbub are acceptable, because they’re "literature"

 JF:  Of course, they're clean zbub that do not degrade women and are only used for procreation! Is there a text that you would really like to lay your hands on? What’s the book you dream of publishing?

CG:  Nice question ... I wouldn't mind publishing Alfred Sant, actually. I loved his last-but-one book, L-Ghalqa tal-Iskarjota and I got totally upset that it hadn't been edited come si deve. And I've been dreaming for years of a serialisation project, but the distribution and retail-chains situation being what it is in Malta, I wouldn't stand a chance in hell of selling it.

 JF:  Why is that?

 CG:  Because in Malta, excluding the Agenda chain and literally 2 other bookshops, the rest are not so much bookshops as stationers-cum-haberdasheries-cum-corner-shops that stock some books on a couple of shelves. So you can't have something like a serialisation going on (entailing weekly or monthly nationwide distributions) when you have to rely on your main competitor for that. Keep in mind that the importation, distribution and retail of around 90-95% of all trade (ie. non-children's) books and of practically 100% of magazines and part-works, are in the hands of the same company.

 JF:  Well I hope you'll find your way around that one. It sounds like it could be an interesting project. But in the meantime, what's up next at Merlin?

 CG:  Well of course 11th December is THE date everyone's been waiting for - the final installment in the Fiddien trilogy (of Sqaq l-Infern fame) - it's been the fastest-selling series ever in Malta, and though technically a children's book has become a genuine crossover title. We're having 2 separate launches, one for kids (with animation and stuff) and one for adults - a cool nightclub vibe in a vault at Birgu Waterfront.

 JF:  I know many grown-ups who are addicted to that

 CG:  Then, next year we're publishing our first thriller in Maltese - I'm very excited about that. Plus of course people are asking about a Tsek-tsik sequel, and I'm rather partial to that, seeing as it was my baby ... We'll see, I think an "expat” Tsek-tsika would be cool, but of course it'll be a logistic nightmare to organize it when everyone is in Malta. Maybe it’ll be some time over Christmas.

 JF:  That would be interesting ... all the 'exiles' can have their say.

 CG:  exactly. Would you be interested? Lol

JF:  Sure, if I'm there.... Keep me posted

The Merlin website is currently undergoing construction, but you can find more info at http://www.facebook.com/merlinlibrary?ref=ts

No 'crisis' when it comes to Choos.

Given the chaos, I didn't think standing there with a camera taking pictures would have been appreciated!

Whilst sales assistants in designer shops on Paseo de Gracia sat twiddling their thumbs at cash registers, the poor staff at H&M on the same street, and further down in Puerta del Angel were having a hard time handling the chaos caused by the crazed crowd wanting to get their hands on items from the H&M/Jimmy Choo collaboration. I popped in to have a peak and it was MAYHEM with very little items left on the shelves. During the five minutes I was in there for, I saw sales assistants bringing more stock in though, so I'm assuming the shelves were being restocked to keep up with the demand.

Kerching!

http://www.hm.com

Ready, steady, go...

Kate Moss poses for Top Shop Christmas collection, 2009

Get ready for some serious stone throwing going in Kate Moss's direction for  telling a WWD interview that: "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels."

Bicing Bloody Bicing!

Now that I am just about mastering the art of cycling, bicing has become my preferred mode of transport in the city.  However, the amount of faulty bikes is getting a bit irritating. This morning, like most mornings, I had to change my bicycle twice. One had no chain, and the brakes on the second one felt d-o-d-g-y. And let's not mention trying to park the damn thing! I practically had to fight to put mine in the station at Barceloneta this morning. About six of the slots weren't taking it. An Italian (wouldn't you know) try to beat me to the only functioning space with five minutes to go to my yoga class. As you can imagine, any feelings of zen that I'd built up on my way to the class flew straight out the window.

If you live in Barcelona, don't let the above you put you off joining bicing. Find out more at www.bicing.com

Hey there Candy girl!

Candy, issue 1

Wahay! A fashion magazine for transvestites! Limited edition run of 1,000. Lypsinka, Joey Arias, Tim Walker, Terry Richardson (both behind the lens, I'm assuming)and many, many, more. Launch party (guest list only) next Thursday at the George and Dragon, London.

Become a fan on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/CANDY-MAGAZINE/172695980966?ref=mf&v=wall

And if someone wants to send me a copy, it'd be most welcome

Daphne Rocks the (Shoe) Boots

Daphne Guinness in ss2010 McQueen in New York, yesterday

(Aherm) High five to Daphne Guinness for being the first to be seen in public wearing McQueen's fuckoff footwear at last night's Nars party in NYC, which she hosted together with Marc Jacobs. It seems like McQueen has been inundated with requests from women (and I'd imagine a few men, too) wanting to buy the shoes - which are also getting a worldwide airing on Lady Gaga's new video - and they are now going into production. I like. Alot.

More Lots of Love

Audrey Hepburn in How To Steal A Million

Kerry Taylor Auctions has announced that it will be selling off pieces worn by Audrey Hepburn in a sale to be held in London on December 8. Among the items going for sale are: a Givenchy black cloque silk designed for Ms Hepburn in Paris When It Sizzles (estimated to fetch between £10K to 15K), a Chantilly lace cocktail number from How To Steal a Million (£15K-20k) and a Sorelle Fontana wedding dress that Hepburn had ordered for the marriage to James Hanson which she called off a few weeks later (£8K - £12K). After the cancellation, Ms. Hepburn asked for the dress to be given to someone less fortunate - "someone who couldn't ever afford a dress like mine, the most beautiful, poor Italian girl you could find." The lucky girl turned out to be one Amabile Altobella, a girl from Latina, who wore it to her wedding to farmer Adelino Solda, with whom she remained married, producing three children. "I have had a happy marriage, so the dress has brought me good luck," Mrs. Solda has said. 

I'm sure there are many brides to be who would just love to share some of that luck on their big day!

50% of the proceeds from the auction will be donated to The Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund.

http://www.kerrytaylorauctions.com  

Never say never ...

Robbie Williams with Take That at the Royal Albert Hall, last night

Now that it's almost a dead cert that he will be rejoining the band in some way or other, will Robbie Williams lose all the credibility gained from leaving and become "the very irritating one from Take That" again?

Galliano's Christmas at Claridge's

Sketch for John Galliano's Christmas tree at Claridge's

I'm not really one who is know to ever get excited about Christmas trees, or anything Christmassy really, but I do adore John Galliano's sketch for the tree that will adorn the fabulous art deco lobby of Claridge's in London this year. It's all ice-y and frozen and as far away from your traditional tree as you can get - which is why I like it of course.

The tree goes on display on December 1 at Claridge's, Brook Street, London W1K 4HR

http://www.claridges.co.uk