A few weeks ago graphic designer Jonathan Gray came to Kingston and did a talk about his work. He did the cover for Everything is Illuminated by Jonathon Safran Foer, one of my favourite books. He also showed us some pictures about the Central European classics series he did covers for. After the Wave on Saturday we detoured to the book stalls under the bridge at Southbank, and I found a copy of one. It's a brilliant brilliant book, beautifully written - every sentence is peculiar and so evocative.
"Grandpa Rafik, my mother's father, died for good a long time ago - he drowned in the river Drina. I hardly knew him, but I can remember one game we played, a simple game. Grandpa Rafik would point to something and I'd say its name, its colour, and the first thing that occured to me about it. He'd point to his penknife. and I'd say: knife, grey, and railway engine. He'd point to a sparrow, and I'd say: bird, grey, and railway engine. Grandpa Rafik pointed through the window at night, and I said: dreams, grey, and railway engine, and Grandpa tucked me up and said: sleep an iron sleep"
Also, today I bought a brilliant bike lock, in strangely similar colours.
