NOLAN, Simon 1961-

PERSONAL:

Born 1961. Education: Attended University of Sussex.

ADDRESSES:

Agent—Caroline Davidson Literary Agency, 5 Queen Anne's Gardens, London W4 1TU, England.

CAREER:

Former clerical officer; self-employed musician and teacher; writer.

WRITINGS:

As Good as It Gets (novel), Quartet Books (London, England), 1998.

The Vending Machine of Justice (novel), Quartet Books (London, England), 2001.

SIDELIGHTS:

A self-employed musician and teacher, Simon Nolan burst onto London's literary scene in 2000 with As Good as It Gets. Not to be confused with the similarly titled U.S. feature film, Nolan's novel follows a quartet of twentysomethings from Brighton, England. Steve, Ward, Kelvin, and Marina share an apartment and struggle for money. Circumstances change, however, when a seedy friend, Ben, shows up for a visit only to disappear during the night and be murdered, leaving behind a backpack. Opening the backpack, the roommates are amazed to find five kilos of high-grade cocaine wrapped in plastic. Now they must decide what to do with their windfall: keep it for themselves, sell it, or just get rid of it. The foursome's options "are explored with both humor and suspense while Nolan's aimless, cynical characters keep busy in their own way," noted James Klise in a Booklist review. Observer critic Christina Patterson likewise cited the author's "sharp satirical gaze" that makes As Good as It Gets "a confident and genuinely comic contribution to the Brit Lit druggie genre."

Nolan followed his debut with a second novel, The Vending Machine of Justice. This tale, set in the author's home town of Hove, Sussex, finds protagonist Elsa called to jury duty, during which she is engulfed in a scenario involving carved pineapples, a Black & Decker cordless drill, and Malibu, California.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, November 15, 2000, James Klise, review of As Good as It Gets, p. 619.

Observer (London, England), July 26, 1998, review of As Good as It Gets, p. 15.*