Sir James Gunn: Someone at a Distance

After yesterday's marathon (all the boxes collected by 3.30) we can concentrate on royalty statements, a January special offer (in a week or two), getting the April books to the printer... And then starting on the October books and the 2013 diary (hundreds of people asked about a diary for 2012.  Last year's was meant to be a one-off but by 'popular demand' we shall be doing one for next year). Meanwhile some of us are off to Paris to read, eat, slump on sofas – and occasionally take gentle walks inspired by David Gentleman's Paris. The painting above has never been reproduced before and was kindly sent to us by the artist's daughter a few weeks ago. It is by Sir James Gunn, who painted the portrait on the front of our Classic edition of Someone at a Distance, and he did it when he was 18 ie in 1911