Effervescent, energetic and eclectic, this is one of the late twentieth century's finest minds (and bellies) on show.

Even As We Speak is an illuminating and hilarious collection of essays by one of Picador's most beloved authors. He focuses on Australian poetry; on television today; on the rise and fall of various icons; on the question of the culpability of the ordinary German in the holocaust; and there is a compellingly provocative and much-talked about piece on the death of Diana.

James has the largest backlist of any Picador author and his sales have been well over a million.