Where there is a Will there is... a great deal of intelligence!

So it goes... Will Self is a very clever man. Therefore, when hearing that he would be making an appearance at UEA (Understanding, Empower + Act... apparently) you could say I was certainly a little excited. But, as with all these things you usually purchase a ticket around the day they go on sale and then forget about it until a few days before the event roles round. Myself, being human, did this, and nearly jeopordised my opportunity to spend an evening with Mr. Self. Luckily I managed to break the shackles of Bank Holiday work (and pay) an hour early in order to resume my social plans. I was not going to miss this, especially after having to forfeit Coxon.

I turned up alone in Lecture Theatre 1, but I was hardly alone in the sense that the place was rammed - mainly with an older generation. I really did not expect such a large turn out for this literary event, but then when considering the size of the LIT faculty etc. I suppose it is not so unsurprising. Additionally, I was sitting there thinking, slightly concerned, because the ticket said that the impending reading and talk started at 19:00 PM (BST), but there no was indication when it would end, which made me a tad anxious about what one of these things was all about, being a virgin and all... Plus, I mean I like the guy, but I did not really want to be sitting in a cold lecture theatre for the next 2 days or something?!

From the clutches of darkness... or the side door, he appeared. He is a strikingly tall man, which I had previously not appreciated. One aspect of his style was described as "...always a mirror of what we are living in, but wished we didn't" - profound. After a lengthy introduction and low down on all his key works by some organizer, he then took to the stage to read from one of his latest novels, The Butt. His introduction was brilliant, displaying some of the inventive dry wit that you would almost expect, "It's a pleasure to be back in Norwich, or... Avvvivva". This was met with streaming laughter.

The evening was very intellectual affair. After the acclaimed authors reading discussions were then raised around his satirical style, as well as his concept of "Othering". He also divulged into some of his political and socio-economic opinions, which often act as subject matter for his writings. It was made apparent that the late J.G. Ballard acted as a great influence on this man - who like many apparently has a strict working day with deadlines and word counts that he strives to meet. And after questioning along the line of text messaging and text speak, in which Self replied "I am texting now... with my Penis" - the evening came to an end. It had been a thoroughly enjoyable hour an nine minutes of my life. One that led me to buy a couple of his books instantly after, as he offered a signing in the campus branch of Waterstones.

"And what is your name?" he said, "Well actually, it is William".

Importantly, what I took away from the experience was that there are great deal of things you can do with your life. Plus, we are here on Earth for a while, so we might as well get on and do something?! Plus, it would appear that he is also not a big fan of the Labour Party...