(Posted on 30 July 2003.)

On 3 June 2003 Nigel Kershaw, who is Chairman of the Big Issue, Jason Pegler and I met for lunch at the Lavender Restaurant. At that meeting Nigel selected the artwork for the cover of the Big Issue Magazine's National Launch of The Hidden Code of Cryptic Crosswords. I went home and announced the imminent launch on my website:

"Coming Soon... The spectacular National Launch of The Hidden Code of Cryptic Crosswords by the Big Issue Magazine. This is a prime example of how the Big Issue takes care of its own! Look!" I put up a copy of the artwork Nigel Kershaw had chosen.

Since then nothing has happened. It is time to mention that my Big Issue vendor number is 6359, and that I acknowledge the help I got from the Big Issue while writing the book. It was written, partly, on the computers they sometimes provide for homeless people. I mention the Big Issue in this regard on page 179 of The Hidden Code of Cryptic Crosswords.

On 16 January 2003, over six months ago, I first contacted the Big Issue and told Ms Russell that the book would soon be out. In the interim I have had several meetings with John Bird, who owns the Big Issue, and several more with Nigel Kershaw. I cannot count the number of unreturned phone calls I have made to the Big Issue. If you do not believe me, just phone John Bird or Nigel Kershaw at 020 7526 3200. You will get to a tape, leave a message, and be ignored too.

I ask whether Big Issue vendors who write books and have them commercially published, and sold through Waterstone's, Blackwell's, Hammicks, Foyles, Borders, Amazon (and in every country in the world) are so abundant that they are not worth mentioning in the Big Issue magazine? Not one word about it in six Months.

Above all, who else should launch a homeless man's book?