The Diary: Sebastian Faulks' A Week in December; Lord Attenborough's art sale; Oubliette Arthouse squatters' Gormley homage; Nicholas de Jongh's Plague over England; Art for Africa

(AP)

Any similarity is purely intentional

There was much speculation this week over the identity of the real life inspirations for the characters in Sebastian Faulks's latest novel, 'A Week in December'. Suspects include DJ Taylor and John Walsh, both of this parish. You might say Faulks has form. Take the brilliant 'Engleby', one of his finest works, which seems to draw on his own early forays into journalism. The novelist was the first literary editor of this newspaper in 1986, and later the deputy editor of the 'Independent on Sunday'. In 'Engleby', the eponymous protagonist recounts being invited to work for a national paper. He refers to a news editor who people in the know suggest combines John Price and Tony Bevins, first news editor and first political editor of the paper, respectively. And Engleby has an interview with three characters not totally dissimilar to the paper's founders – Andreas Whittam Smith, Matthew Symonds, and Stephen Glover – except that the Gloveresque figure is dozing off. The real (and impeccably polite) Stephen Glover, a friend of the novelist, assures me he hardly blinked. Messrs Walsh and Taylor better beware.

Art needs a home

What does your art say about you? Doubtless the sale of Lord Attenborough's personal collection will reveal charm aplenty. The 85-year-old director will dispense with 'Old Houses' by LS Lowry, which could fetch up to £500,000 when it goes on sale at Sotheby's on 11 November. Other works by Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore, and Edward Burra should push the total value above £2m. Lord Attenborough, who bought the art when he moved into his current house 60 years ago, was clearly a shrewd investor.

Window dressing

One of London's more curious art projects is being launched at 9am this morning. Squatters from the Oubliette Arthouse, a former language school in Waterloo, have availed themselves of a disused shop in Oxford Street. There they are hosting a 24-hour homage to Antony Gormley's 'One and Other' fourth plinth project, with several different acts performing in the front window. Candle-lit banquets, trans-gender acrobatics, and a 5x5ft pool are on hand. As squatters go, they're a refined (read: posh) bunch.

Plague over England: the movie

To the Almeida restaurant in Islington. The eaterie is over the road from the theatre, and who should I bump into but Nicholas de Jongh. The long-standing critic of the 'Evening Standard' left the paper earlier this year to focus on the screenplay of his debut play, 'Plague over England'. The planned movie isn't short of star credentials: it's being produced by Simon Fuller's 19 Entertainment and the theatre impresario Bill Kenwright. Set in 1950s England, the play, a hit with critics, looks at John Gielgud's arrest for homosexual soliciting at the very height of his fame. No word yet on who will will direct or star in the film, but directors aplenty saw the play when it was on at the Duchess Theatre. Watch this space.

Big names giving it up for Africa

I'm all for art for art's sake, but here's a cracking example of artists with a conscience making a real difference to the lives of the needy. Marc Quinn, Tracey Emin, David Goldblatt, William Kentridge and Marlene Dumas are among the big names to donate works to Art for Africa, an auction of British and South African art to be held at Sotheby's on 21 September. The Johannesburg-born painter and sculptor Beezy Bailey is the creative father of the project, and has collaborated with David Bowie for one piece. Two charities – the Africa Foundation and Ikamva Labantu - will reap the profits. Credit to those involved: Art for Africa gives art a good name.