Art for art's sake?

Jul 27, 2009

Tracey Emin gave me a lesson in self promotion after we had been on Radio Four to review the day's newspapers. I was a guest to promote my book, You Bet - The Betfair Story: How two men changed the world of gambling. Just before our review ended, I mentioned on air - following on from Tracey's reference to a story about Gordon Brown's garden at No 10 Downing Street - that in next weekend's Financial Times I have a piece running which considers the summer wardrobes of world leaders such as the Prime Minister. "Don't tell people what you have written before the article is published,"Ms Emin advised as we chatted afterwards. "Some editor will commission the same piece." I think the advice was free. But I wouldn't be completely surprised, bearing in mind the commercial savvy this shows, to receive an invoice.