Loving the accent

London is amazing. I feel a bit embarrassed and ashamed that it took me a few years to really and utterly fall in love with this city.

On Sunday night, I went to the Literary Death Match, episode 43. I'm not on twitter but I 'follow' a few people, including Rick Edwards - who was one of the judges last night. And that's how I found out about this really cool event which took place at Concrete - the events space in the basement of ueber-cool Pizza East. 

Principle is simple: two rounds where two authors read from their work and the three judges - Suzi Feay, Rick and Alex Edelman (I now know the name of Simon Amstell's warm up comedian!) - decide who goes through to the final. The finalists then competed in a game of literary pictionary. I was very impressed with the courageous volunteers who had come up on stage not knowing (at least I assume they didn't know) that they would have to draw in front of the whole room. 

I loved all four authors:

Nicci Cloke read from her new book Lay me down.

Janina Matthewson read from Of things gone astray

Robert Auton was very funny, did some stand up and read from Petrol Honey

Chris O'Dowd and Nick Vincent Murphy read from Moone Boy: The blunder years

Everyone was brilliant. Janina and Chris & Nick made it to the final, which the boys won.

I still can't quite believe that I was just a meter from Chris O'Dowd!!! If you don't know him (and his lovely Irish accent) you really should look him up and check out the TV series Moone Boy and of course the IT Crowd.

Butternut Squash, pancetta and fontina on a delicious pizza!