Brian Viner

I studied Modern History at St Andrews University and like Jane started professional life on a trade journal before moving to newspapers. Since 1990 I’ve written for numerous national newspapers in the UK. I was a sports writer for many years but have been the Daily Mail’s chief movie critic since 2013. The opportunity to write books grew out of a sports column I wrote in The Independent: a reader who liked the cut of my jib was married to a publisher and recommended me, which led to my first book, Tales of the Country, in 2004. I’ve won an award for my journalism and an award for one of my books, so I could retire happily … if I had the slightest intention of stopping.

What genre(s) do you write?

Non-fiction

Do you have a newly released novel? What is the title and a link to buy the novel?

I am ghost-writing the autobiography of a well-known British boxing promoter, called Frank Warren.

Are there any other social media links, websites, or other places to learn about you that we should add?

Instagram: @writersinc

Writing retreat website: www.writersinc.co.uk

If you are traditionally published, who is your agent? If you are self-published, what publishing software do you prefer/ who is your publisher?

Andrew Gordon was my agent first! He specialises in non-fiction but was keen to start a fiction list, so I introduced him to Jane, and together they’ve had much more success than he ever had with me! All my books so far have been published by Simon & Schuster.

What do you love the most about being an author?

All my published books are autobiographical in some way, and writing about my own life is many things: rewarding, cathartic, challenging. At a relatively trivial level, one of the things I enjoy most about writing books is the dedication! It’s lovely to dedicate a book to someone significant or special in your life, especially if they’re not expecting it.

How long have you been hosting your writers’ retreat, and how many do you do a year?

We did the first in July last year, and we’ve done five so far. The next is in June, then July. We both have other projects - Brian is a film critic and journalist and I’m writing, of course - but we hope to build up to perhaps eight retreats every year, perhaps even more in due course.

Who can sign up for this retreat?

Anyone with an interest in books and writing. We've had people who've written 150,000 words of a novel, and others who've never written anything. We have someone coming in June who's only ever written poetry but wants us to help her make the switch to prose. It's interesting. We've met some great people.

What are three fun facts about you?

1.It’s not exactly a fun fact but it’s certainly a conversation piece: I was adopted as a three-week-old baby, never wanted to know who my biological parents were, but was found by my birth mother when I was 37 - she filled in a lot of missing information.

2.I used to be very good at masquerading! I successfully masqueraded as a professional golfer at the Open Championship, and once as an international rugby player. It’s mainly a matter of looking confident.

3.If I hadn’t become a writer I would have been a hotelier. I love dispensing hospitality. Our writers’ retreats allow me to do that, which is great fun.

If you could give any advice to a new writer/author, what would it be?

Don’t be too proud to have a writing inspiration, someone whose books you turn to whenever you’re feeling stuck or in need of forward momentum. Maybe have one of their books by your keyboard. It doesn’t make you a copycat. It helps.