According to DBC Pierre, his new novel Lights Out in Wonderland is the third in a very loose trilogy, each forming an image of the first decade of the millennium. You've heard of the other two.

There was the first one, a brilliantly creepy story of a school shooter back when the subject was big news. The author tells us his first, Booker-winning novel Vernon God Little was meant to reflect American ideology, while his second novel Ludmilla's Broken English was an exploration of issues surrounding immigration. The new novel, we're told, is meant to leave us with a feeling of "lingering, potential enlightenment".

This one follows a suicidal character - suicide a notion the author explores as a "sane and creative decision", with the exception of the violence it does to those left behind. I'm intrigued by this approach, which strikes me as a daring though difficult operation. Prone to failure, though all the better for its success.

Excess is the theme of the new novel. Magical wine, fugu ovaries, parties in the former Gestapo headquarters in Berlin and sex in an octopus aquarium...yes, lots of excess. His reading style is a bit dry, but the quality of the work shines through.

During the event, DBC Pierre frequently makes reference to his lack of formal education. It's something I find rather evasive, since he manages to avoid one or two questions by this method. He describes his work as formless, symphonic and allegorical. This might sound like a vague description, but it rings true to me.