Thursday 27 May (7pm)

@ London Review Bookshop, 14 Bury Place, WC1 (020.7269.9030) Tube: Holborn

James Wood: critic, intellectual and scourge of the global literati. Scroll now if this fails to float your boat. James Wood: loved and loathed, and back from key ambassadorial posting as "a Brit over there", flying the flag for high-handed, earnest literary criticism amidst the frivolity of potted bios, puff previews and half-baked resumes. Stationed overseas in New York, Wood maintains the illusion of the existence of a far greater intellectual capability on our green and slow-witted shores than is remotely justified. Now briefly over here, the LR Bookshop hosts Wood in an evening of discussion, pontificating and presumably ruminating on the distinguished yet often alien subjects of his latest collection of essays. The essays are garnered from reviews in the London Review of Books, The New Yorker and The New Republic, spread from celeb-authors like Rushdie, Zadie Smith and DeLillo via Dickens and Dostoevsky to highly regarded international unknowns. To Wood, criticism ought to be structured, formal, unadulterated and above all serious. In this, his realm, he is a master and if the cultural anachronism of serious literary criticism intrigues you, KF suggests you seek this out. If not, scroll on dear reader.

Thursday 27 May (7pm)

@ Queen Elizabeth Hall, South Bank, SE1 (0870.401.8181 ) Tube: Embankment/Waterloo

Is it really four years since Ken was elected to his bus-tastic position of Mayor? And what's become of his avowed interest in all things built, especially of the tall variety? Here's the moment to find out: Achitecture Foundation director Rowan Moore will put Ken and challengers for his crown Steve Norris (boo!), Darren Johnson (who?) and Simon Hughes (why?) through an architectural Question Time, in which you, the audience, can participate. For starters, we'd like to know why plans for Jubilee Gardens and the South Bank still hang in limbo after all this time (OK, so this is a bit of an FOA-related hobby horse of ours, but how long will the area remain in use as a litter depository for London Eye tourists?). There are, of course, the big questions: what effect will building London's new extension have on the capital? How tall should tall buildings be? And, most importantly, isn't that retro-chic-eighties look for bars, like, so over?

NB: The public is invited to email askmayor@architecturefoundation.org.uk with architectural questions before the event.

Thursday 27 May (8pm)

@ 93 Feet East, 150 Brick Lane, E1 (020.7247.3293) Tube: Aldgate East/Liverpool St.

Ok, if you've been paying attention you already know that !!! is pronounced chk chk chk (or any three identical one-syllable sounds of your own choosing). If you've been on the ball with your Warp records releases, you already have current single Pardon My Freedom revolving on the turntable when you fancy a shimmy in your bedroom. Given the hip chk's fondess for a funk-laden bassline you could do a lot worse than check out their live set if you fancy a bit of an ass-wiggling Thursday evening. Described as jolly '80s throwbacks by some, none of this really matters when it comes to punk or funk. The only questions you need to answer are "Do you like to dance?" and "Are you free on Thursday?"

NB: !!!'s new album, Louden Up, is released on 07/06. !!! also perform at Fabric on 17/07.

Giveaway: We have two limited edition double CD albums to give away. They'll go to two randomly picked Flashers who can finish this sentence: "Me and..."

Thursday 27 May (8pm - late)

@ The Arts Cafe, 28 Commercial St., E1 (020.7247.5681) Tube: Aldgate East

On an unseasonably warm May evening, imagine a surprising tranquility unknown in the East End, a cool drink in your hand, a soft breeze and genteel banter in the garden outside. Your spirit longs for a soundtrack to mirror this blissss....Then you're truly fortunate if you find yourself hanging out at the Arts Cafe as German musician Ulrich Schnauss performs his luscious ambient techno there as part of the awkwardly entitled "Dead or Alive" event. Dispel any images of extreme '80s gothic hair growth and cheap drum machines; alternatively embrace the heartfelt, out-of-focus, blurry sound-world of this 24-year-old Berlin musician. More lap-top gazing than shoe-gazing, Schnauss' work offers an elegantly crafted and blissful use of electronics married to the sparest of beats, skeletal melodies drawing influences from Krautrock, Debussy, Gorecki and the Aphex Twin. Pray that the sun continues to shine and you might feel the music spinning you round like a record... Right round...

Giveaway: We have three copies of Ulrich's Strangely Isolated Place to give away. They'll go to three randomly picked Flashers who can name two of his aliases.

Thursday 27 May (9pm - late)

@ Electrowerkz, 7 Torrens St., EC1 (020.7837.6419) Tube: Angel

Warp records returns to the scene of their riotous Nesh parties to showcase a triumvirate of fresh talent. Chris Clark first came to your attention with the naive rave of his debut, Clarence Park. His latest, Empty The Bones Of You, continues to make odd bedfellows of melody and distortion but this time does it with the lights off. Jimmy Edgar's take on sleek, soulful electronic music would conform to the singular stereotype of his Detroit roots were it not for his ability to operate at various tempi -- his debut Access Rhythm EP is a diverse assemblage of clunking breaks and gleaming mechanoid rhythms. Here's hoping his full-length Bounce Make Model is similarly catholic. Finally -- Team Shadetek. Recently signed, the duo have yet to release on Warp but you can judge tracks from their forthcoming Burnerism mini-album -- expect juggernaut hip-hop careering through the lower register as they explore the bottom end like a proctologist.

Giveaway: We have one set of three albums (one from each of the artists) to give away. It'll go to one randomly picked Flasher who can tell us how many people make up Team Shadetek.

Friday 28 May (Fri 28/05 to Sun 06/06)

@ ICA, The Mall, SW1 (020.7930.3647) Tube: Charing Cross/Piccadilly Circus

Kicking off ten days of creativity that spans music video, computer gaming, architecture, motion graphics, new media, feature films, graphic-inflected narrative shorts, and documentaries, onedotzero, the festival that celebrates the very best in moving image, returns for the eighth time to the ICA this week. As ever, it will trace the ongoing convergence of contemporary culture by hosting talks, panels, presentations and live events, featuring work from the up-and-coming to the well-known, truly offering something for everyone.

Below are our picks:

Hi-ReS!
Fri 28/05 till Sun 06/06 (12 - 7:30pm)
A look at the work of interactive design studio Hi-ReS! 'Nuff said!

Ninja Tune: A Visual Retrospective
Fri 28/05, Mon 31/05 and Fri 04/06 (6:30pm)
A celebration of Ninja Tune's cutting-edge video work and the release of their music video DVD compilation.

Sh*te and Shynola: A Retrospective
Sat 29/05 (7pm), Wed 02/06 (5pm), Sat 05/06 (6:30pm) and Sun 06/06 (7pm)
"A Shynola already?" we hear you cry, but yes, they've achieved that much. Expect music videos for Blur, Radiohead and Quannum from this genius collective along with many more.

Sneakers
Sat 29/05 (5pm), Fri 04/05 (7pm) and Sat 05/06 (8:30pm)
This feature takes us through the world of the trainer from design to promotion. For those Nike fans out there check out the Nike Lab-commissioned Art Of Speed (Fri 04/06).

Nordica!
Sat 29/05 (9pm)
A night of multimedia celebrating the best in Scandinavian creativity, including a set from the amazing Kim Hiorthoy (whose latest EP is reviewed below) and Husky Rescue, among others.

Hang The VJ!
Mon 31/05 (7pm)
A clash of the VJs... This debate will feature leading AV pioneers Chris Allen (Creative Director, The Light Surgeons), Mike Faulkner (Creative Director, D-Fuse), Matt Black (Coldcut) and Graham Daniels (Addictive TV).

Face Value: Character Design In Motion
Tue 01/06 (7pm)
With animation, toy characters and gaming adding "heroes" and "villains" to our cultural psyche, Jamie Hewlett (Tank Girl and Gorillaz), James Jarvis (Silas and World of Pain) and Pete Fowler (Monsterism) debate their relevance within moving image.

Anatomy Of A Production Company: Partizan
Wed 02/06 (7pm)
A one-off showcase of work by the directors at Partizan, production company and home to such greats as Michel Gondry and Antoine Bardou-Jacquet (he of the Honda Cog ad).

Beyond The Interface
Sun 06/06 (2pm)
Attention Archi-flashers, this symposium explores how new digital, moving image technology -- from the web to gaming -- are allowing us to build and envisage building in new ways. Speakers include the design consultancy AllofUs, the architect Tom Verebes (oceanD) and Thames & Hudson's architectural commissioning editor, Lucas Deitrich.

It's a rare thing to find this much talent in one place, so book fast so as not to miss out.

NB: onedotzero8 runs from 28/05 till 06/03.

Giveaway: We have one pair of tickets (which give one free access to bar at all times during the whole festival and a discount on all ticketed events) and two goodie bags (containing ondotzero DVD1 and DVD2) to give away. They'll go to three randomly picked Flashers who can tell us in what year did odz start.

Friday 28 May (7pm)

@ ICA, The Mall, SW1 (020.7930.3647) Tube: Charing Cross/Piccadilly Circus

How many opportunities do we get to catch LA-based star architect-theorist Greg Lynn in conversation with Welsh product designer Ross Lovegrove at our local Institute of Contemporary Arts? Not too bloody many! Fortunately they're friends and have recently collaborated on a few projects. Lovegrove's creations read like an aspiring designer's jazz mag; Sony walkmans, Apple computers, Louis Vuitton and Tag Heuer are just some of the names, and he's exhibited everywhere from NYC's MoMA and Guggenheim to Paris' Beaubourg and Tokyo's Axis Centre. While fellow goatee devotee Lynn is responsible for changing the interface of design by unashamedly exploring it hand-in-hand with philosophy. Both are currently developing new ideas in transportation with Takujin Yoshioka for an automobile project at the Pinakothek museum in Munich. Lynn has also contributed to a new Phaidon book (Supernatural) on Lovegrove, and is the perfect sparring partner on notions of "intricacy" and "being primitive" in architecture and design. Quite frankly this is where it's at -- of all the modern arts, design still has integral innovation and inspired progress. It makes garage punk look as vital as a reading with Pam Ayers.

NB: This event is part of onedotzero8.

Giveaway: We have one copy of Supernatural to give away. It'll go to one randomly picked Flasher who can tell us the name of the jumbo jet that he has done work on.

Friday 28 May (Party: Fri 28/05 6:30 - 10:30pm; Exhibition: daily 10am - 6pm, Tue & Wed until 8pm)

@ V&A Museum, Cromwell Rd., SW7 (020.7942.2000) Tube: South Kensington

Famed for her glorious floral paintings, Georgia O'Keeffe once commented, "When you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it's your world for a moment." Artists from Van Gogh (who eternalised the sunflower) to Anya Gallaccio (who makes beautiful, yet transient installations of pressed petals), have always found inspiration in nature. And this summer the V&A is celebrating the enduring creative muse of the flower with an alternative show -- The Other Flower Show. It bursts into life with a Garden Party on the night of Fri 28/05 (6:30 to 10:30pm) by celebrating 2004's Year of Gardening. Late View visitors will be the first to see exciting features of the show, including ten garden shed installations by artists and designers such as Tracey Emin, Tord Boontje and FAT. There will be a fresh array of events, from a Flowers by Numbers project, inviting visitors to be floral fashion designers, to Origami bars, encouraging budding artists to make paper flowers while DJ Mike Flowers (no pun) spins his grooves. The show will bring together sound, lighting, interactive designs and visual art, thus embellishing this floral beauty. If you enjoy this, then catch Tate Britain's Art of the Garden (03/06 till 30/08). Blooming Lovely! (Runs till 11/07.)

NB: While at the V&A check out the museum's first sonic exhibition, Shhh. Lastly, for those flower fanatics, the Chelsea Flower Show has just opened and runs till Fri 28/05.

Saturday 29 May (11pm - 6am)

@ canvas

The Haywire Sessions have proved consistent providers of innovative sounds usually laced with deadly doses of zipping electro or glitchy techno. Whilst continuing to host and participate in parties all over the world, the crew, captained at the helm by the mighty Two Lone Swordsmen, are holding more regular soirees around London, ranging from smaller venues such as Herbal to larger additions on the scene like Canvas, this coming Saturday. Perhaps the main attraction of this forthcoming session is the appearance of Detroit's DJ Bone. Bone's UK debut was at Fabric in January and he produced an intensely tight, twisted and driving set of underground sounds. Now the strangely named one is back and in the process of previewing his future tracks on the Subject Detroit label. In room 2, the Swordsmen themselves (Messrs Weatherall and Tenniswood) present From The Double Gone Chapel, a DJ set with guest preachers?! The involvement of these dance connoisseurs would usually guarantee a memorable and original experience. The shuddering spangling sound of 21st-century dance will definitely be reverberating round King's Cross this Saturday...

Giveaway: We have two copies of From The Double Gone Chapel to give away. They'll go to two randomly picked Flashers who can tell us the name of TLS' own two labels.

Saturday 29 May (10am - 6pm)

@ Regent Hall

What should the collective noun for writers be? A "type" of writers? An "angst" of writers maybe? Or, if this year's PEN festival is anything to go by, a clash of writers might be more apt, such is the range of style on offer. Yes, if books could speak as their writers so often do, your bookshelves would look like the aftermath of a Friday night in Aldershot, bloodstained leaves would be scattered and spines broken. But don't let that image put you off -- PEN exists to protect writers of all creeds, colours and persuasions from penury and oppression around the world, so however different their fictions might be, you're unlikely to find Will Self forcing Louis De Bernieres into a headlock while trying to sell smack to Nina Bawden. Mr Self is a well-behaved denizen of the literary establishment these days, but don't let that put you off either; his acerbic wit is every bit as strong as his joints used to be. And with refreshing talent like Turkish iconoclast Orhan Pamuk and Maggie Gee on "Why Writers Can't Be Told They Have Responsibilities", there should be enough polite conflict and rude accord to stimulate your Bank Holiday.

NB: To book tickets by credit card, call 020.7713.0023 or click here for the online booking form. Ticket price includes refreshments.

Sunday 30 May (Mon Oncle at 12:15pm and The Party at 1:45pm)

@ Curzon Mayfair, 38 Curzon St., W1J (0871.871.0011) Tube: Green Park

Comedy tends to lose out in the fight for eternal survival, attaining not even a footnote in the annals of movie history. But for every presumption, rule and prejudice there are of course exceptions. Jacques Tati and Peter Sellers are both survivors within the comedic genre. This means quite simply (an amazing accomplishment): they are still funny. In celebration of funny (will you laugh and smile your required amount this weekend?), go along to this double-bill of Mon Oncle and The Party. Of course, the maniacal, often simplistic comedy stylings of Tati and Sellers might not be your giggle-trigger, in which case there are other things to appreciate. In between the (cheap) laughs there are clear moments of social and political commentary, some great acting, and, especially in the case of Mon Oncle, some visual virtuosity.

NB: This event is a double-bill. Mon Oncle screens at 12:15pm, followed by The Party at 1:45pm. On Sat 29/05 (11:30am), catch another instalment of shorts at Cinema Extreme. This month's CE has a Q&A with Simon "Full Monty" Beaufoy.

Sunday 30 May (3pm)

@ Tate Modern, Bankside, SE1 (020.7887.8008) Tube: Southwark/Blackfriars

Nostalgia, even a hint of romance, lingers in the work of the late Dutch artist Bas Jan Ader. A performance artist, photographer and film-maker, his career was mysteriously cut short when he was lost at sea in 1975. Parallels can be found in the perversely melancholic embrace of mishaps and accidents in the life of comedian Andy Kaufmann, who has controversially re-appeared 20 years after his death. Or has he? Whilst awaiting Ader's return we can revel in his works. In his film I'm too sad to tell you (1971) he exposes a raw nerve by simply crying for the camera; other works portray him riding his bicycle into an Amsterdam canal, jumping out of a tree, or simply falling over. With a peer group that included Ed Ruscha, Gordon Matta-Clark, Chris Burden and Robert Smithson, it was clear that for Ader his body was the focus of his work, and his melancholic vision has influenced generations beyond. Certainly don't be put off by what might suggest a dark, tragic visionary, as his works offer the chance of moving out of a dark aura and converting our tears into knowledge.

NB: The screening, which will be introduced by Andrea Phillips, Assistant Director, MA Curating, Goldsmiths College, presents 11 of Ader's influential films, such as I'm Too Sad to Tell You (1971) and Untitled (Tea Party) (1972). Other works will also be on view at Modern Art London from 29/05 till 04/07.

Giveaway: We have ten tickets to give away (one per Flasher) to the first ten Flashers who call 020.7887.8888 and quote "Reader Offer -- KultureFlash".

Sunday 30 May (7:30pm)

@ ICA, The Mall, SW1 (020.7930.3647) Tube: Charing Cross/Piccadilly Circus

When Young God Records boss and former Swans member Michael Gira discovered the young prodigy Devendra Banhart, he was still "a homeless, wandering, neo-psych/folk hippie artist and musician, not yet 21". Astonished by this quivering, high-tension wired voice that could have been recorded 70 years ago, Gira apparently sent him a 10-page letter and the Texas-born (Vincent Gallo-Ian Anderson-Jethro Tull lookalike) immediately moved from California to New York. His first release Oh me, Oh my... was made from pieces recorded on "assorted borrowed and usually broken 4-track cassette recorders by Devendra himself, in various haphazard locations around the globe". Since then, he has toured widely and is now returning to promote his outrageous latest on XL Recordings, Rejoicing In The Hands. Strongly influenced by traditional folk music, his work is simply as genuine as it gets. The astonishing voice with a natural vibrato and powerful emotional drive is the leading instrument of his solo-guitar sets, and, after his overwhelming and sold-out performance at the Water Rats earlier this month, we can only recommend all to live that experience in a bigger space that will simply be overtaken by the young prodigy.

Giveaway: We have three artwork booklets of Devendra's hippy doodlings to give away. They'll go to three randomly picked Flashers who can tell us were he was born.

Tuesday 1 June (6:45 - 8:30pm)

@ Royal Geographical Society, 1 Kensington Gore, SW7 (020.7792.9512) Tube: South Kensington

John Major's plans to rename British Empire medals would kill off the last public reference to this country's colonial past, and might also reduce the huge numbers of people who refuse honours each year on the basis of the E-word and its implications. We are less impressed by conquest than ever before. Perhaps because of anti-imperialist voices from Conrad to Zephaniah, and testament from the colonised and their descendants, invasion and occupation don't seem much to be smug about these days. Christianity, capitalism and cricket aren't its only legacy; the Empire was responsible for drawing dodgy borders in Iraq and Palestine, and leaving half-cooked jobs in Africa and Afghanistan. On the other hand, Britain's respect for education and democracy pervade among many of its former colonies, and its record is pristine compared with the bloody Ottoman, Roman (and even the present American) Empires. Arguments are likely to come from a myriad of angles: the line-up include a human rights lobbyist, a brace of Oxbridge professors, authorities on India, and pop historians Niall Ferguson and Andrew Roberts. Chair is Richard Lindley, veteran Panorama reporter, who was the first Western journalist to interview Saddam Hussein.

NB: To book your tickets call 020.7494.3345 or email info@intelligencesquared.com.

Ends Friday 28 May (Wed 26/05 to Fri 28/05 from 10am - 9pm)

@ Dana Centre, 165 Queens Gate, SW7 (020.7942.4040) Tube: South Kensington

"Now get this. London calling, yes, I was there too." In fact, KF was there all alone. And drifting through the city streets, in an almost dream-like state, from the all-too-familiar skateboard park under the Westway, to an empty East London market. A LIFT 04 commission, The Living Image at the Dana Centre provides a radical re-reading of the capital, whose narrative remains open, contingent and shifting. Artists Roma Patel, Trudi Entwistle and Graham Nicholls have created an interactive virtual space based on their own memories of London, a geographic flow that goes well beyond its literal appearance, but whose aim is to focus on how the city is experienced. Entering a dark room with a stereoscopic screen projection and geared with 3D-glasses and motion-tracking technology, the audience is free to navigate through their own psychogeographies. The dandy "drifter" becomes a virtual flaneur. The aural and visual symphonia of the city is obtained, then transformed into a composition that is coalesced with the memory of the various physical sites. Moody and at times quite eerie, the installation goes beyond the mere spectacular and absorbing effect that a VR environment can often create. It allows for a more abstract, more individual experience of space -- both urban and personal. (Runs till Fri 28/05.)

NB: Tickets are free but must be booked in advance by calling 0207.942.4040 or by sending an email to tickets@danacentre.org.uk.

Ends Saturday 29 May (Tue to Sat 10am - 6pm)

@ White Cube, 48 Hoxton Square, N1 (020.7930.5373) Tube: Old St.

Can it be that Antony Gormley is simply unpopular because he's become so populist? Certainly more people will see the Angel of the North than most shows of Impressionism. Or is it because the simplicity of his figures, a recurring theme, has just become so expectable. Thus the current show did take us by surprise... Described as a drawing in space, or "phenomenology of psycho-spatial experience" -- his words -- it is just one of the most fun stumbles currently on in London. The 7kms of raw metal rod, arcing from floor to ceiling, is like traversing a gigantic metal vortex or falling into a Giacometti drawing of a cave. Yet the "vectors" or "plotting" required to move through the installation returns us to his theme of the existential body by emphasising its opposite. You become aware of space, as if those rods were marking air or making geometry visible, while softly pushing against the galleries walls. Upstairs -- Inside the White Cube -- he confronts us with more bodies now processed through a grid or computer. Constructed from individual cubes of steel, these figures signal a new departure in that they seem concerned with their internal construction and plotting, rather than the external. Like the vectors downstairs, these new "grids" signal a different emphasis for the Turner shortlistee.

NB: Runs tills 29/05.

Friday 4 June (7 - 8:30pm)

@ Tate Modern, Bankside, SE1 (020.7887.8008) Tube: Southwark/Blackfriars

Todd Haynes seemed destined to remain a director of off-beat films that only those asking advice in the video store ever end up seeing (that is if you didn't pop into your local Blockbuster). But things were not so intended. Instead, he was recognised for the talented filmmaker that he is by the "right" people. Todd Haynes is a director who rejects the idea of clues and suspense to drive his story forward, instead penetrating the fascinating world so beloved by modern crime writers: character exploration and development. He is not alone in this trend, but does it exceedingly well. Dialogue does not tell you what emotions prevail; instead his camera, lighting, music and set do instead -- meticulously. And the man is growing. His last film, Far From Heaven, is his most accomplished. The audience -- if willing to let go -- is wholly transported into the world he creates. Discussing his work with Richard Dyer (a scholar with a range of film literature behind him; if you only read one, make it Now You See It) should prove a perfect match -- and do not forget to hang around for the screening of Far From Heaven.

NB: This talk and screening is held in conjunction with the Edward Hopper exhibition at Tate Modern (opens Thu 27/05).

Giveaway: We have five tickets to give away (one per Flasher) to the first five Flashers who call 020.7887.8888 and quote "Reader Offer -- KultureFlash".

Ends Saturday 5 June (Thu to Sat 12 - 6pm)

@ Counter Gallery, 44a Charlotte Rd., EC2 (020.7684.8888) Tube: Old St.

Shows can't get simpler than this. The gallery is blacked-out, two images of lorries on the motorway are projected on a wall, the images change, more lorries on motorways. What sticks out is the striking quality of the designs on the sides of each vehicle; in fact it's the centre of attention in all the images. What Armando Andrade Tudela has done since his last appearance in KF has been the artistic equivalent of Che Guevara's Motorcycle Diaries, that is he's been travelling and memorialising his adventures and interests. The result of numerous South American road trips, these images continue to point us in the direction of a certain idea of design. These mural-scaled graphics, customised by the truck owners, are hence a form of folk art, yet using -- essentially -- Modernist "imagery". Naive? Sophisticated? Whatever your view, the Lima-born artist, currently in a two-year residency at the Jan Van Eyck Academy, is certainly pointing our appreciative gaze towards how ideas have trickled from high to low. How so-called "high" thoughts can and do become part of daily life. Depth to his slippery taste is added by the fun, Polke-esque drawings in the back room. Not surprisingly, this show is entitled Camion. (Runs till 05/06.)

Giveaway: We have three copies of his book Camion to give away. They'll go to three randomly picked Flashers who can name three famous road-novels.

Sunday 6 June (5:30 - 11:30pm)

@ Savoy Pier, Victoria Pier, WC2R 0E

Whistlebump seem to consistently deliver the goods. Whether on land, or floating within the murky waters of the Thames, their parties are a combination of the finest in genuine house music and other associated genres, not to mention a knowledgeable, unpretentious and voracious crowd. Next Sunday, the latest boat party will launch and joining Captains Haggis and Crowther will be special guests (queue desperate attempt for a boating pun) manning the deck. Cosmo, darling of the New York underground, but currently more of a fixture on the London scene, will be spinning. The second room, or is that cabin, will feature three true behemoths of quality tunes, representing the left-side. Rising star, and Gilles Peterson protegee, Benji B joins Ross Allen and another man of exquisite musical taste, Dr Bob Jones. The only prescriptions he will be handing out will be musical and all ailments will be truly cured. A delightful way to spend a summer evening...

NB: This event will sell out so buy your tickets in advance. Tickets can be purchased online via ticketweb (08700.600.100) or in person at Phonica (51 Poland St., W1), Disque (11 Chapel Market, N1) and Reckless (79 Upper St., N1).

Wednesday 9 June

@ ICA, The Mall, SW1 (020.7930.3647) Tube: Charing Cross/Piccadilly Circus

The comic book has long passed the point of being just for kids; in fact for some it's a space in which to freely ruminate over some of life's more complex issues. From Crumb's weird world to Pekar's American Splendor, the difficulties of daily life, not to mention the general oddness of people, sit comfortably described both visually as well as verbally. Chris Ware's The Smartest Kid on Earth, the only comic book to win the Guardian's First Book Award (2001), is as visually complex as comics gets. The actual comic -- even more so than the republished book -- were artworks you could flip through; each page, a miniature painting. As a guest editor of that bastion of avant-garde, literary idiosyncrasy McSweeney's, issue 13 should please all those who want pictures with bite... and flavour. In London for the ICA's Comica, expect his conversation with Seth, that Canadian author of the uber-retro Clyde Fans and Palooka-ville, to be both lively and enlightening. Some of you may already be familiar with Seth's cameos in Joe Matt's Peep Show.

NB: This talk is being held in conjunction with the launch of McSweeney's #13. Book early as it will sell out. A screening of a documentary on Ware follows the talk. (Comica runs from 05/06 to 13/06.)