Chambers Fact Finder

As if being a poet isn't an awkward enough vocation to have to admit to and explain at dinner parties (not that I'm ever invited to any, mind), I have another somewhat arcane occupation as a compiler of trivia, quizzes and puzzles, mostly for newspapers and magazines. This inevitably means a few large bookcases holding many large books full of information. So handy, concise and accurate volumes of facts and figures are always welcome. Chambers have recently issued a new edition of their Factfinder – a chunky 600 page infotome, edited by Hazel Norris, one of the rising stars of lexicography.

The book has a new layout – clear and spacious, while boxes with interesting facts make it browseable, as well as informative. The book is heavy on 'human geography', with 260 pages given over to the planet's countries. Some lists (cheeses, actors' real names) could be more extensive, though this isn't a crosswords lists book, of course. However, this edition dares to be a little quirkier than other such books and includes odd lists such as Crufts winners, Santa's reindeer, the runic alphabet, real names of superheroes, Bond themes and cocktails.

Rather than 'review' the book any further, I decided to put it to the test with ten questions. So let's see how it does...

What is the biggest UK city I have not given a reading in? A question I was asked recently – can't remember why. The answer seems to be Britain's fifth largest city, Sheffield. While looking this up, I was surprised to find that Glasgow's official population (577,700) is not that much bigger than Edinburgh.

What is Jodie Foster's real name? Alicia, apparently.

What is the highest waterfall in Europe? Not a lot on waterfalls, but the answer's here: Norway's Ormeli fall is 563 metres high – the fourth highest in the world.

How many Welsh speakers are there in the UK? No information on this (the answer is around 750,000, a fifth of them living outside Wales).

Whose books are most popular in British libraries? As I thought, issue-bound children's writer Jacqueline Wilson. Fourth most popular is the aptly named Mick Inkpen, who I have never heard of (he does children's picture books, apparently).

Why does the Swiss prime minister change annually? I know the Swiss leader changes every year, but not why. The book doesn't explain and, inevitably, isn't up to date on this year's model. However, it does contain Orson Welles catty remarks about 500 years of democracy only producing the cuckoo clock.

Which country has won the Eurovision song contest most often? Ireland have won it seven times, including three in a row in the early 90s.

Which breed has won Crufts most often? In recent decades, the Irish setter has been most successful, winning four times.

What is the world's smallest island nation? Nauru, there are just 21 square miles of it.

Who was the last British winner of a Grammy for best album? Eric Clapton for Unplugged in 1992.

So eight out of ten is pretty good. A recommended one volume fact book.