He’s been described as “the John le Carré of his generation” and a “megastar of the genre”.

British spy writer Mick Herron has earned millions of fans around the world and delighted critics with his thrilling plots, rich characters, and dry humour.

He’s won dozens of awards for both his Slough House series, his stand alone works, and his short story collections, and ‘Slow Horses’ and ‘Down Cemetery Road’ have both been adapted to the screen.

Herron’s on our shores for the Auckland Writers Festival, in which he’ll introduce the latest addition to his iconic series, ‘Clown Town’, set during the height of the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

‘Slow Horses’ was originally released in 2010, and wasn’t particularly successful, especially when compared to the acclaim both the book, and Herron's work as a whole, now holds.

Herron told Jack Tame things changed one day at a time, so it doesn’t feel like that big of a difference.

“It was a low slow process, and it’s one in which, I mean, my part in it has been that every – well, most days, not every day, most days I just sit down and get on with the book that I happen to be writing.”

“Everything else goes on around me really,” he told Tame.

He attributes his success to his publishers, the people working in marketing, those who run festivals, and so on.

“I just respond to invitations and very happily turn up.”

Over four million copies of his books have sold around the world, but Herron isn’t quite sure what it is about his work that people connect with so much.

“I don’t intend to investigate it too closely,” he said.

“It’s a feeling that if I did, I might break something without meaning to.”

“I just carry on doing what I’m doing and hope I’m doing it right ... I just do what I’ve always done, which is write the novel that’s inside me that I need to write.”

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What does the phrase “doing the edges” mean to you?

Most people would think either of assembling the outside of a jigsaw puzzle, or cleaning up and trimming around the edge of your lawn.

And while Kevin Milne understands the purpose of one of those, he doesn’t quite get why people bother with the other.

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It’s the 21st anniversary of the debut album from iconic Kiwi band Fat Freddy’s Drop, ‘Based On A True Story’.

And to mark the occasion, they’re setting off on a world tour – kicking things off with three performances in Auckland.

Chris Schulz was at the first show last night, and joined Jack Tame to share his thoughts.

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