He appears at the Brewery Arts Centre for one night only, on Saturday 3 May, as part of a tour with his new book of poems, The Sound of Paint Drying (published by Methuen Books on 1 May).

Hegley visited Nice in France to paint a scene once depicted by his half-French father 70 years ago. He muses upon the trip, painting generally, romance, throat sweets and blancmange!

John is a regular sell-out at the Edinburgh Festival and has also performed at the Comedy Festivals of Melbourne, Montreal and Aspen, Colorado.

Hegley is also heard regularly on the radio, currently with John Cooper Clarke on BBC Radio 4

The Sound of Painting Drying enjoyed a brief, but moving airing on the same wavelength.
The tape running, John sucks a Strepsil and makes his own artistic impression in the midst of barking dogs, wine drinkers and footballing boys, whose match he enlivens with some Luton Town FC dazzle. This radio gem led to a three week run at The Pleasance as part of the 2002 Edinburgh Festival. Hegley is now touring the UK and the Brewery show is his first date in the North West.