The Outlaw Varjak Paw

About S F Said

SF was born in Beirut, Lebanon in May 1967. His family was originally from the Middle East – like Varjak, SF has Mesopotamian ancestors – but he has lived in London since the age of two. Growing up in the flat above where Quentin Blake lived may be why he always wanted to be a children’s writer.

SF says that authors like Roald Dahl, Ursula Le Guin and Rudyard Kipling made him who he is. Their books shaped his mind as did all the comics and music he loved as a child, from Star Wars to The Sandman. His flat walls are covered with books, records and videos – literally thousands of them.

While waiting to be discovered as a writer SF spent 6 years in Middle East Politics, writing for the Crown Prince of Jordan. Following this he went to Cambridge University to do a PhD in Criminology. During his degree SF started writing articles about books and films which won him national journalism prizes. He now writes regularly for the Daily Telegraph and has interviewed the likes of Philip Pullman, Jacqueline Wilson, Quentin Blake and William Nicholson. His success as a journalist led him into judging the Whitbread Children’s Book Award and programming for the Edinburgh Film Festival.