How to write a diary

Over the years, many intriguing, famous and noteworthy individuals have written a diary for The Spectator. Some good, some bad. Some exhilarating, some excruciating. But this week’s diarist offers a timely lesson in how to do it properly. The best Speccie diaries are both personal and professional, idiosyncratic yet informative, quirky yet insightful, giving the reader a unique ringside perspective into important topical events. Ideally, they are devoid of the spin and crass self-promotion normally found in the mainstream press, and delve not only into the mindset but also the emotional vulnerabilities of the diarist at a decisive, reflective or simply amusing point in their lives.

This week’s very special diarist — it’s his first such appearance in these pages — offers a few key pointers. Self-deprecation is to the fore. Rather than trying to flog us his book, he merely mentions it in passing and (wrongly) describes it as ‘wretched’.