Hanif Kureishi, Corn Exchange, Brighton, May 20

1:30pm Wednesday 21st May 2008

After an hour in someone's company, you might expect to have gained a little insight into their life or character. But author, playwright and screenwriter Hanif Kureishi seemed determined to give nothing away in this uninspired "audience with".

Little was made of his new novel Something To Tell You, supposedly the reason for the talk, much less Kureishi's colourful and controversial past. His interviewer appeared disinterested in prising anything new from his subject and his bland questioning prompted brusque and often flippant responses.

Even when given a lead into something more interesting - such as Kureishi's disgust at a film adapation of one of his (unnamed) novels - he was frustratingly unwilling to deviate from the script. It was the questions from the audience that proved the most fruitful part of the evening.

Kureishi was not the most charismatic of men, but with more imaginative direction, more could have been made of him.

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