Article: A Londoner's Diary; Alain de Botton on why Richard and Judy is the only book review that counts, and the story of his power over Portillo.

Byline: ALAIN DE BOTTON

The pinnacle of prestige and influence for writers used to be a lead review in the Times Literary Supplement.

Nowadays, the smart money is on an appearance on Richard and Judy. A few months ago, Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan had the inspired idea of starting a book club, and because every title they've chosen has become a bestseller, authors aspire to few things more earnestly than an appearance on the peach-coloured sofa.

Hence my excitement when my publisher informed me that I was being 'considered' for an appearance on the show, though there were 'hurdles to overcome'. As far as I could make out, the hesitation of ...

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