Former Home Secretary Alan Johnson was a speaker at Damian Barr’s literary salon at the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel last night, where he spoke about his new book Please, Mister Postman. Johnson — who was a postman before entering politics — says he misses the intellectual stimulation of the job.
“When I was at the Post Office I wouldn’t take The Times in to work with me,” he said. “I thought the men would judge me. But once one of my colleagues noticed I’d brought a book with me, he asked me if I’d read any Hardy and lent me a copy of Return of the Native.
“Another recited Shakespeare. Those men were the most cultured people I have ever worked with.” “But you worked in Parliament,” host Barr interjected. “Yes.” Johnson replied, leaving it at that.
