MARMARATI 'HONOUR'

The book has pulled-off a major triumph! A new Marmite is scheduled to hit the market later this year. It's going to be extra-strong. It will sell under the name Marmite XO - which stands for Extra Old. In a bid to promote the newcomer Unilever (manufacturers of M) held a competition via its Facebook page. It invited Marmite fans to prove their passion by taking the challenge to be dubbed a Marmarati. Entries were then voted on. Only 200 - of the 694 entries - would make the cut. And Mish-Mash did it! A sweet victory that I am savouring because...well see the penultimate sentence.

My entry - among the hundreds of very stylized, complicated and fanciful offerings - was very simple. It was a photo of the front cover along with one paragraph that said:  Anyone who spends nine months with their head in a Marmite jar to write a book about the black-magic deserves the honour of being declared numero uno Marmarati!

An e-mail told me that a 'hand-crafted, commemerative' jar  of the 'prototype' new-taste Marmite is on its way to me. The package will also contain 'instructions' for the next step in the fight for the Marmarati crown. I'm sure Mish-Mash has gone as far as it's going in this particular arena....but, what an honour to get this far. Particularly as it was produced without the 'blessing' of Unilever.  But will keep you posted.

The Sheffield Tel - Tells All, Twice!

The good old Sheffield Telegraph (where I once nearly got a job but flunked the final interview because the editor didn't like the fact I hesitated when asked what book I was currently reading!) finally came through. Nice piece about the book - but primarily about Dave Jeffery, illustrator extraordinaire, whom is orginally from the great steel city. Read it here: http://www.sheffieldtelegraph.co.uk/arts/Spreading-love-and-hate.5961486.jp  And then several days later its sister paper The Star happily got in on the act: http://www.thestar.co.uk/diary/Marmite-book-you39ll-either-love.5973445.jp