He finally made it to Belfast, after two pandemic cancelations, rather posponements I should say, including a dose of the virus itself. And what a great night it turned out to be. Hosted by Paul Mc Veigh who knew how tease out some rivetting tales of the city from the man himself. The affection the audience had for Armistead was palpable. There was indeed a lot of love in the air. To be honest it was almost surreal to be sitting a few feet away from an author who's work was so formative for myself and a few others I have known. Not just for his beloved cast of characters from Barbary Lane but for always magical and memorable stand alone novels that explore the humane diaspora in witty and compelling ways. He is one of those born word smiths who can make you laugh and cry in the space of a single sentence. He really drew out a fantastic audience and a gay old time was had by all. A really gay old time. XOX.
