The Writers of Wales Database

LEWIS, SIMON

 Website: http://www.simonlewiswriter.com/

Simon was born in Raglan in 1971 and went to school in Monmouth, followed by art college in Newport. He studied art at Goldsmiths College and then worked as a travel writer, researching the Rough Guide to China. He is the author of Go (Corgi, 1999), a crime thriller about travellers, which he wrote in a village in the Himalayas. It sold more than 40,000 copies, was translated into German, Italian and Swedish and led Simon into work as a film screenwriter. Bad Traffic (Sort Of Books, 2008) is his second novel. It was nominated for the ‘Books to be talked about 2009’ award by the World Book Day team and was shortlisted for the prestigious LA Times Book Prize 2008. It has also just been shortlisted for the French SNCF Prix Solar - a crime fiction prize, for which only three non French books are nominated every year. Bad Traffic (Sort Of Books, 2008) has been translated into six languages so far and is selling well abroad.

Simon was on the ’HAY 21’ list for the most promising writers at the Guardian Hay-on-Wye literary festival 2008. He currently lives in Brixton and Shanghai, and feels very connected to Wales. Simon particularly embraces the idea of the Celtic prose tradition, with its emphasis on ’strong’ rather than ’clever’ writing. His new novel is due out next year, and a drama he wrote for the Channel Four 'Coming Up' series, will be broadcast in autumn 2010, after premiering at the Edinburgh Film Festival. Simon is a Member of Academi.

Reviews:
With respect to Bad Traffic (Sort Of Books, 2008)

"…Alongside Alex Garland and William Sutcliffe, Lewis is one of the pioneers of new travel fiction. And of the three he is the most in tune with the experience of travelling and the possibilities it offers fiction…"
Nicholas Blincoe, The Observer

“…Lewis sets a blistering pace from page one and exploits his ’fish out of water’ theme to the fullest. Memorable…”
Myles McWeeney, The Irish Independent


Selected Publications:
Fiction
Go (Corgi, 1999)
Bad Traffic (Sort Of Books, 2008)
Border Run (Sort Of Books, 2012)

Travel Guides
The Rough Guide to Beijing (Rough Guide Books, 2004)
The Rough Guide to Shanghai (Rough Guide Books, 2008)

Contributed to:
The Rough Guide to China (Rough Guide Books, 2002)