Bibliomaniac: An Obsessive's Tour of the Bookshops of Britain

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In which case, roll up your sleeves, Mr Eliot, and we’ll see the kind of mettle of which you’re made. Recently, Ince has criticised Ricky Gervais's new Netflix special SuperNature for its transphobic material, warning him that he is becoming a "pin-up for the alt-right". There is that late-teen fear and excitement of being able to become who you wanted to be, now that you are away from home and from your past. 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.

Bibliomaniac by Robin Ince | Book review | The TLS

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. Ince also relates the book collector’s fear of missing or neglecting to acquire the special book, and the regrets that ensue when he later realises that he rejected a real gem. Complemented by an array of revealing personal photographs, the narrative alternates between heartfelt nostalgia about the seedier side of Manhattan’s go-go scene and funny quips about her unconventional stage performances. Packed with anecdotes and tall tales, Bibliomaniac follows Robin up and down the country in his quest to discover just why he can never have enough books. I've laughed out loud many times reading it, it's like the reading equivalent of a nice cup of tea and a biscuit.But I must – either from a journalistic obligation of protecting one’s sources or a theological observance of the seal of the confessional – refrain from saying much about it; particularly as, yet again, I appear in it. But it is both interesting as giving an insight into a fairly odd character in Ince himself (someone I was aware of, but hadn't really come across directly, and tend to confuse with Tim Minchin for some reason) and in the unlikely books he uncovers.

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Award winners Robin Ince and Johnny Mains team up for this unique exploration of the relationship between comedy and horror to see if they do, as believed, make the most comfortable of bedfellows. Then, in First Blossoming, Chobi’s friend, Mimi, also a cat, is adopted by an art student who’s struggling to find her way. There’s some nice travel writing here as he wends his way from Wigtown to Penzance, along with cosy anecdotes about the folk he encounters and some madcap tangents, invariably prompted by his eclectic reading habits.Award-winning comedian and bibliomaniac, Robin Ince, takes audiences on a celebratory tour of the places books can take us, and of the ideas that can make wonder and widen the sky. Robin's chaotic chatty style works really well for my brain, and I appreciate the niche book references because predictability in this area depresses me.