Rome in the Rain

"Rome's just a city like anywhere else. A vastly overrated city, I'd say. It trades on belief just as Statford trades on Shakespeare."

Anthony Burgess

I was recently plugging an upcoming exhibition held in Manchester by the Anthony Burgess Foundation, about Rome as seen through the eyes of Burgess and expressed in his writing.The above quote is just one aspect of the Eternal city he depicted. The exhibition is called "Rome in the Rain". As I mentioned in my previous post, it is the French title of Beard's Roman Women, one of my favourite novels of Burgess. I have recently learned (from Andrew Biswell) that Rome in the Rain was the title Burgess wanted for the book, but that the American publisher imposed another one. I never liked the official title. Anyway, I feel kind of vindicated that the upcoming exhibition will have the right title. So I am plugging the event again and its lovely evocative name.

An evening on Anthony Burgess and Shakespeare

There are rare moments in my life when I wished I lived closer (even closer) to London. Today is one of those days: Waterstones Piccadilly is hosting a discussion on Anthony Burgess and William Shakespeare, or more precisely about Burgess's biography of the Bard. Which is great, but I guess they will also speak of Nothing Like the Sun, Burgess's novelization of Shakespeare's life, which is even greater. Andrew Biswell will be there. I have met him a few times and he's always interesting. Very knowledgeable too. Sadly, because of work (I finish at 5:30PM, the discussion starts at 6:30PM), I don't think I can get there on time. And with many other things going on, a trip to London is highly unlikely. Shame, shame, shame. But for those who can be there, because they live in or near London, or because they have free time, it's on the 18th of September. Go. It's going to be good.