I love a book that introduces me to new words, in this case ‘mither’ (make a fuss) and ‘ginnel’ (a narrow passage between buildings). Now I just have to introduce them into my vocabulary! What can I say. Here I am, working on books and smashing my non-work- related reading target... And a few times a year I get to talk to people about books in a similar way. But Robin is making me feel like I could be doing this more; better! I am simultaneously jealous and inspired. I chose Bibliomaniac with some trepidation, having yet to find a book about books that doesn’t revere long dead white men and assorted tedious classics, so I was pleased to discover Ince’s taste tends to be rather more eclectic, if not eccentric.

Bibliomaniac by Robin Ince | Book review | The TLS

For sociologist Kahn-Harris, the warning message inside Kinder Surprise eggs – that tiny slip of paper covered in 37 languages and eight different scripts – is nothing short of revelatory. “The Manuscript”, as he’s soon dubbing it, inspires a quest to repurpose the myth of Babel as a metaphor not for conflict and division but unity. A true languages buff, he delights in his own incomprehension, finding individuality and invention in geeky translations of the Kinder egg message into Cornish, Klingon and ancient Sumerian, and musing on topics from linguistic evolution to endangered tongues. It’s gloriously eccentric – enlightening, funny and full of the human yearning to connect with others. One day Bookish will be an acceptable nationality for your passport. It is not about where you are born; it’s about which books you are living in. Robin Ince has landed a two-part Radio 4 stand-up special about the brain's relationship with reality and is publishing a book about his obsessive love of books, British Comedy Guide can exclusively reveal. See issue one of the new Mensa magazine in March for an extended interview with Robin in which he reveals the key components of his perfect bookshop.

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I know that I have a tendency towards melancholy, social anxiety, and self-loathing, and books form a great part of my prescription medication. When I say that books are my drugs, I don't mean that in a throwaway manner; they really do calm me, they really do shut off some of the voices for a while. The people who are drawn to the shows cover all ages from teenagers to people in their 80s and 90s, but I can see this beautiful line of curiosity running through them all,” he says. “It’s a celebratory, optimistic environment where people feel free to express what’s on their mind.”

BIBLIOMANIAC - An Evening with Robin Ince - Eventbrite BIBLIOMANIAC - An Evening with Robin Ince - Eventbrite

I am extremely jealous of Robin's year. Can you imagine anything better than this being your job, to read books, visit lovely bookshops in lovely towns, accumulating wonderful books, and then talking to people about science, books and art? And being fed cake? I get to do a tiny bit of all this, but no, not to this level of perfection. This is the story of an addict! Robin Ince is addicted to books - seriously! I thought I love books - and I do - but this man cannot say no to any book! I’m not going to pretend that I know even a quarter of the references Ince makes to books, writers and general literary miscellany. I just soldiered on, hoping that some of the anecdotes will find a home in my memory via osmosis.I think I love books more than I love reading. Their company means there is always the possibility of something to be discovered, waiting for me between the covers, which hasn't even entered my imagination yet. A small but pleasing change in my reality is waiting on every shelf.