Quintin Jardine's blog

Those seven letters are shorthand for the Thirtieth International Festival of Authors, in Toronto, from which I’ve just returned. The trip was bracketed by two nights in Barcelona, a crazy schedule that meant I was on six different flights in seven days, with the inevitability that somewhere I was going to pick up a dose of ‘flu, but it’s of the man rather than the swine variety, so no big deal.

 I may have more to say in detail when I’ve had time to reflect on the trip, but first and foremost I’d like to thank Geoffrey Taylor, the inspired director of IFOA, for his invitation, and for extending the hospitality of Toronto to us all. Thanks also to Mike Russell, the Scottish culture minister, for our Government’s support of the event, and to those with whom I shared a couple of platforms, Mark Sinnett, Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt, Linden McIntyre, John Bemrose, James Nichol, Colm Toibin, Iain Weir and Martin Levin.

Oh yes; cheers also to the chef in the CN Tower restaurant, to  the team of cyclists who make it revolve, and no hard feelings to the inimitable Joseph Kavan, for the elegant but unintentional way in which he insulted my son.