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As the youngest of six children born in a tough working-class area, and consumed by an obsessive desire for music and literature, Simon Smalley has led an unconventional life. Wholeheartedly encouraged by his parents and two elder sisters, from an early age he read voraciously and wrote with matching zeal.

Regrettably, an uninspiring secondary modern comprehensive school education was far from stimulating. Unthwarted, Simon created punk rock fanzines when he was fifteen, and later, during a career in music retail, accepted an invitation to write monthly reviews for the gay periodical Outright! This position evolved into Simon reporting on more diverse subjects, and the progression to become co-publisher.

Empowered by his contribution to an LGBT anthology, Simon devoted himself to writing his first volume of memoir, Finally fulfilled with being a published author, Simon is eagerly writing his second volume which he expects to publish on 1 November 2024.