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Author Revealed

Simon Lewis
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Simon Lewis

Simon Lewis was born in Wales and grew up in Scotland. He is the author of the Rough Guides to China, Beijing, and Shanghai, and the backpacker novel Go, which he wrote in a village in the Himalayas. He spends half his time in Brixton, London, and the... Read full bio

Author Revealed:
Q. Do you have one sentence of advice for new writers?
A. rewrite a lot, and cut the first fifty pages.
Learn more about Simon Lewis
Simon Lewis Revealed
About Simon Lewis
  • Previous occupations:
    barman, shelf stacker, barrsita, life model, travel writer,sandwich deliverer, English teacher
  • Favorite job:
    sandwich deliverer
  • High school and/or college:
    I did fine art at Goldsmiths in London
  • Name of your favorite composer or music artist?:
    Happy Mondays
  • Favorite movie:
    Double Indemnity
  • Favorite television show:
    Monty Python's Flying Circus
Revealing Questions
Q. How would you describe your life in only 8 words?
A. procrastination, china, taiji, football, brixton, caffeine, art, faffing
Q. What is your motto or maxim?
A. give it seventy percent
Q. How would you describe perfect happiness?
A. being drunk and in love
Q. What’s your greatest fear?
A. failure
Q. If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you choose to be?
A. Munsiyari, a little village in the Himalayas
Q. With whom in history do you most identify?
A. Christopher Marlowe
Q. Which living person do you most admire?
A. JG Ballard
Q. What are your most overused words or phrases?
A. abruptly, gingerly, definitely, cool
Q. What do you regret most?
A. the incessant procrastination
Q. If you could acquire any talent, what would it be?
A. astral projection
Q. What is your greatest achievement?
A. getting this far
Q. What’s your greatest flaw?
A. modesty
Q. What’s your best quality?
A. quick feet
Q. If you could be any person or thing, who or what would it be?
A. Doctor Manhattan
Q. What trait is most noticeable about you?
A. eyes
Q. Who is your favorite fictional hero?
A. James Bond
Q. Who is your favorite fictional villain?
A. The Daleks
Q. If you could meet any historical character, who would it be and what would you say to him or her?
A. Shakespeare, what's your secret?
Q. What is your biggest pet peeve?
A. litter
Q. What is your favorite occupation, when you’re not writing?
A. scratching
Q. What’s your fantasy profession?
A. ninja
Q. What 3 personal qualities are most important to you?
A. sincerity, humour, kindness
Q. If you could eat only one thing for the rest of your days, what would it be?
A. pancakes
Q. What are your 5 favorite songs?
A. Joy Divison, Love Will Tear Us Apart; Happy Mondays, Step On; Nirvana, Come as you are; REM, Orange Crush; Carter USM, 24 Minutes from Tulse Hill
On Books and Writing
Q. Who are your favorite authors?
A. Graham Greene James M Cain Elmore Leonard Jane Austen Evelyn Waugh Kingsley Amis
Q. What are your 5 favorite books of all time?
A. Lucky Jim, Kinglsey Amis Cold Caller, Jason Starr Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov Double Indemnity, James M Cain Clockwork Orange, Anthony Burgess
Q. Is there a book you love to reread?
A. Money by Martin Amis
Q. Do you have one sentence of advice for new writers?
A. rewrite a lot, and cut the first fifty pages.
Q. What comment do you hear most often from your readers?
A. pacey
Q. How did you come to write Bad Traffic?
A. righteous indignation, needed the money.