Flann O'Brien revival

The late, great Irish writer Flann O'Brien is enjoying something of a revival thanks to the TV show Lost.

Sales for O'Brien's absurdist masterpiece, The Third Policeman, have soared in Britain, Ireland and the US after being referenced in the popular TV show.

Read the article at The Observer's website.

This is splendid news, as far as I am concerned. The Third Policeman, is one of my favourite novels (the part about people swapping atoms with their bicycles makes me laugh like a loon every time).

And all thanks to a television programme. Perhaps I should write to the producers of other popular shows and try to get them to reference some of my other favourites: the makers of Charmed could mention Bulgakov's The Master And Margarita; the characters in Neighbours could be seen engrossed in the novels of Peter Carey; the contestants on Strictly Come Dancing could prance around with a copy of Paul Auster's The Music Of Chance under their arms.

Well, it could work.