I was born in Sydney, Australia to an English father and a librarian mother – who is mostly to blame for my love of books. I studied architecture at university for almost a year but quit when I realized I didn’t like buildings and was no good at maths. I decided that I wanted to be a journalist and see the world. The problem of getting started in journalism was solved with the help of a friend with whom I started a tiny magazine with a big name: the "Hampstead Arts and Literature Review". I went on to write for lots of news outlets including the BBC and the New York Times.
