Philip Kerr
As a child
I was born in Edinburgh and from an early age I knew I was going to be a writer. My mother taught me to read and without her I can’t imagine what would have become of me. I went to school in Scotland but rarely visit these days as the SNP thing has divided Scotland in a way I now find uncomfortable.
As an adult
I studied Law up to post-graduate level; then I worked as a copywriter in advertising for many years. Being a copywriter used to be a good job to have if you were a writer. Nobody noticed if you were writing a novel, which I was, mostly.
As a writer
I live and work in Wimbledon where I have been for more than twenty years. I am a full-time writer which is to say that it’s a proper job and not something I do in between jobs taken to earn a living. This is all I do. I used to do more journalism but since newspapers stopped paying people a proper fee I don’t do this any more. I write film scripts also.
Things you didn’t know about Philip Kerr
- I had a very religious upbringing; my sister went to church three times on a Sunday.
- I don’t eat lunch.
- I have a cinema in my house.
- I shout at the television and radio, quite a lot.
- Berlin is my favourite city.
- I have three nipples.
- I can stand on my head.
- I have a standing desk. In other words, I stand when I’m working.
- My cat likes getting wet.
- I haven’t dusted my office in years.