▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁novel ▁Dor ian , ▁an ▁Im itation ▁was ▁long list ed ▁for ▁the ▁Man ▁Book er ▁Prize , ▁and ▁his ▁ 2 0 1 2 ▁novel ▁Um bre lla ▁was ▁short list ed . ▁His ▁fiction ▁is ▁known ▁for ▁being ▁sat ir ical , ▁gro tes que , ▁and ▁fant ast ical , ▁and ▁is ▁pre domin antly ▁set ▁within ▁his ▁home ▁city ▁of ▁London . ▁His ▁writing ▁often ▁expl ores ▁mental ▁ill ness , ▁drug ▁ab use ▁and ▁psych iat ry . ▁ ▁Self ▁is ▁a ▁regular ▁contrib utor ▁to ▁publications ▁including ▁The ▁Guardian , ▁Har per ' s , ▁The ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁and ▁the ▁London ▁Review ▁of ▁Books . ▁He ▁currently ▁writes ▁a ▁column ▁for ▁the ▁New ▁States man , ▁and ▁over ▁the ▁years ▁he ▁has ▁been ▁a ▁column ist ▁for ▁the ▁Ob server , ▁The ▁Times , ▁and ▁the ▁Even ing ▁Standard . ▁His ▁columns ▁for ▁Building ▁Design ▁on ▁the ▁built ▁environment , ▁and ▁for ▁the ▁Independent ▁Magazine ▁on ▁the ▁psych ology ▁of ▁place ▁brought ▁him ▁to ▁prom in ence ▁as ▁a ▁think er ▁concerned ▁with ▁the ▁politics ▁of ▁urban ism . ▁ ▁Self ▁is ▁a ▁regular ▁contrib utor ▁on ▁British ▁television , ▁initially ▁as ▁a ▁guest ▁on ▁com ic ▁panel ▁shows ▁such ▁as ▁Have ▁I ▁Got ▁News ▁for ▁You . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁Self ▁replaced ▁Mark ▁Lam arr ▁on ▁the ▁an arch ic ▁BBC ▁comedy ▁panel ▁show ▁Sho oting ▁Stars ▁ ▁for ▁two ▁series , ▁but ▁was ▁himself ▁replaced