Wanderer, drifter, lawyer, teacher, and author Simon Van Der Velde stopped by the Bunker to talk about his book, Backstories. An award-winning short story writer at heart, Simon combined his childhood love of heroes with his adult love of meeting people from around the world.
So, he and Brad sat down to commiserate on the nature of truth, traveling, and people. You know: the little stuff.
About Simon Van Der Velde
Simon has worked variously as a labourer, barman, caterer, lawyer and teacher, as well as travelling throughout Europe and South America whilst collecting characters and developing insights for his hugely successful writing.
Since completing a creative writing M.A. (with distinction) in 2010, his work has won and been short-listed for numerous awards including; The Yeovil Literary Prize, (twice), The Wasafiri New Writing Prize, The Luke Bitmead Bursary, The Frome Short Story Prize, The Writers’ and Artists’ Short Story Prize, The Harry Bowling Prize, The Henshaw Press Short Story Competition and The National Association of Writers’ Groups Open Competition, establishing him as one of the UK’s foremost short-story writers.
Simon now lives in Newcastle upon Tyne, England with his wife, labradoodle and two tyrannical children.
His latest work, Backstories described as ‘unique, astonishing and magical’, was born out of a yearning to understand the heroes of his childhood – as Simon himself explains.
