Actually, Jon would probably be mortified if anyone called him that. But that’s all the more reason to do it, right? …Just teasing, Jon! But the rumour’s true. Jon was made an honorary Doctor of Letters at the University of Nottingham on July 13th. You can watch part of the graduation ceremony, and Jon’s address, here.

In fifty years, when Jon’s kids are tracing their famous dad’s journeys, they’ll have to head to Norfolk for several reasons–not least of which is that he spent a while over the last two weeks taking part in the Worlds Literature Festival in Norwich.

…this Friday, May 29th, at 10 p.m., will feature some of Jon’s work, including a story that is, well, very short. You can listen online via iPlayer Find out more here.

…the Italian translation of Even the Dogs, is published this week. Marsala.it says “Neanche i cani è un romanzo pieno di furia e speranza, potente e universale. L’opera struggente di un autore che ha raccolto del fango e lo ha trasformato in oro”. Right, off to GoogleTranslate…

The Even the Dogs TV BookClub episode was repeated last week, and right in time Jon’s Italian editor sent along the link so that those outside of the UK can watch, too. It’s here, on youtube.

Have you ever wondered just how those sentences in Even the Dogs really ended? If so, you can read the endings to every broken sentence in Chapter 2 right over here.

If you do, and if you’ve been waiting for the Italian edition of Even the Dogs to come out, you’re in luck…it’s about to be published. If it’s a French translation you’re after, you don’t have long to wait…the translation’s finished, and waiting for publication.

If you weren’t planning on getting your copy, well, change that plan right now! Jon’s got a piece in it, and it’s sure to be interesting: it’s about a documentary film which was made by a group of older Irish men living in Nottingham who went on a road-trip to Ireland, many of them for the first time in 50 years.

Pssst! You can read the article online here.

If you’re fascinated by Google Maps (or even if you’re not), you’ll like what Jon’s found and what he has to say about it over on the Stuff page. Check it out.

What with it being April Fool’s Day, maybe this post should tell you that Even the Dogs has made it to number one on several bestseller lists. But instead let’s opt for the less tricksy route: it’s hanging out at about 277, which really seems like the place to be.