Simon Rich
Simon Rich is a graduate of Harvard University, where he was president of The Harvard Lampoon. Shortly after graduation he became a writer for Saturday Night Live. He now works for Pixar. Elliot Allagash is his first novel, followed by What in God’s Name and most recently, The Last Girlfriend on Earth, a collection of very funny short stories about love.
Q: You’re throwing a dinner party for fictional characters. Who do you invite?
A: I’m a terrible cook, so I’d make sure to invite characters with low dining standards, like Oliver Twist or Jean Valjean. I could just serve bread and they’d be psyched.
Q: Are there any books that still haunt your dreams, even years after reading them?
A: "Introduction to Calculus"
Q: Is there a book you wish you’d been the one to write?
A: "From Pieces to Weight," the autobiography of 50 Cent, because that would mean that I was 50 Cent. This is the only question on your list I consider a "no-brainer."
Q: And which author would you grant immortality so their books never stopped coming?
A: I guess myself? I mean, I don’t think my books are all that great, but I don’t want to die ever.
Q: Who’s your biggest non-literary artistic inspiration?
A: It’s a tie between Mahatma Gandhi and this dog.
Q: If money were no object and you suddenly lost the desire to write, what would you do with your time?
A: You just described the life of a Hollywood screenwriter.
Q: What would be your menu for the last meal of your life?
A: I’d like to say steak frites, but odds are it’ll be a bunch of medicine.
Books by Simon Rich
Hits and Misses
Published: August 2019
A sharp new collection from the hilarious writer who draws comparisons to Douglas Adams, James Thurber and P.G. Wodehouse.
Miracle Workers
Published: April 2019
TV tie-in to the major TV series starring Daniel Radcliffe and Steve Buscemi.
The World of Simon Rich
Published: July 2016
Classic and new work from Simon Rich - never before published outside the USA - to tie in with Simon's BBC Radio 4 show of the same name.
Spoiled Brats
Published: August 2014
Growing up is hard to do, and generation Y seem to be finding it harder than ever. Meet Simon Rich's latest creations in these very funny short stories: anxious parents, ungrateful kids and a well-meaning angel of death.
The Last Girlfriend on Earth
Published: January 2014
It doesn't matter if you're a robot, a caveman, or an alien from outer space: sooner or later, some girl's going to break your heart. And Simon Rich is going to write about it.
Elliot Allagash
Published: July 2011
As manipulative as Cruel Intentions, as competitive as Election, as geeky as Napoleon Dynamite, Elliot Allagash reminds you what your teens were like, and why growing up is so hard to do!
