THE BEST & THE WORST OF G.R. DIX

And today I'm back with the next instalment in the BEST AND WORST interview series. I'm very pleased to welcome author... 

G.R. DIX

In his day job, Dr. G. R. Dix is Regulatory Expert and Safety Assessor for a multinational fragrance house. He holds a Doctorate in Health Science and is also qualified in Medical Toxicology. He is an active member of various committees and working groups within the fragrance and cosmetic industry. Outside of work, he considers his most important role in life to be that of proud Grandad to three special boys, to whom his books are dedicated. He is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).
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G. R. Dix lives in Northamptonshire, UK and is available for interviews.

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Brian Brackbrick is ten years old, and the one-hundred and thirty-eighth cleverest person in the whole world. Oh, and he might be a little bit obsessed with hats.

But - is Brian Brackbrick clever enough to work out why Old Mr. Hatston has suddenly gone missing, and Harry Hatman has appeared in his place overnight? What does Harry Hatman want with Brian Brackbrick? Where is Old Mr. Hatston? Who is the mysterious Mr. Sparker? Does Charlie Chipchase really wear his grandad's old pants?

​Join Brian Brackbrick and his best friend George Bum, as they search for the answers amongst the quirky characters and strange goings-on in their town! This is the first book in an exciting new series for children from author GR Dix, who invites you to jump into the world of Brian Brackbrick and stay for fun, silliness, hats, cakes, books and mysteries!

Praise for G.R. Dix...

“A lovely, easy to read book for younger readers wanting something a little bit longer, follow Brian Brackbrick and George Bum as they encounter the hazard of Harry Hatman.”
 
“This book is brilliant. I bought this book for my 6 nearly 7 year old grandson - he absolutely loved the book and to be honest so did I. We can't wait for the next one.”
 
“My Grandson loved this book ...a brilliant read and lots of characters that he can't wait to see in the much awaited next book.”
 
“My 8 yr old son read this book and enjoyed it so much he is looking forward to the next instalment.”
 
“All the characters were fun and I especially liked George Bum!”

G.R. Dix's BEST & WORST 

Best Book ...
For a grown-up book, I would say Wizard & Glass by Stephen King (book 4 of the Dark Tower series). Most King books are masterclasses of writing, but this one is particularly affecting on an emotional level; I don’t remember feeling the same after reading this with any other book before or since.

For a children’s book, it would have to be Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. I loved it as a child in the early stages of reading for myself, and I have loved reading it as an adult – both reading for my own pleasure and reading it aloud to my grandchildren. There always seems to be something new to pick out every time – our latest theory is that Willy Wonka chose Charlie before the day even started, and the tour was designed to pick off the other children!
 
Best Band...
Queen, they were the perfect mainstream rock band, with a surprisingly heavy prog-rock flavour in their early days. Also Muse, to my ears a lot of their work is basically classical music played as rock, which is very appealing. The Beatles would have to get a mention too…and early Genesis…I’ll stop there!
 
Best Song / Worst Song...
This would be a long list!
A few examples:
Queen: Death on Two Legs; The Prophet’s Song
Muse: Space Dementia; Butterflies & Hurricanes
The Beatles: Across the Universe; Tomorrow Never Knows; Something

For worst song: any of the formulaic pop songs infecting the airwaves over the last 2 decades or so.
 
Best Holiday...
Orlando, Florida: wonderful family holiday memories. Also, the Grand Canyon – this is something everyone should see at least once, you have to experience it for yourself.
 
Best Animal / Worst Animal...
Tigers, there is something so dignified about them. Also Snow Leopards…also Leopards and Jaguars…basically all big cats!

For worst animal: I cannot bear centipedes and millipedes, I didn’t even like typing those words!
 
Best Item of Clothing...
Just treated myself to a Hugo Boss overcoat…
 
Best Food / Worst Food...
Steaks and burgers in USA, the quality is just levels above. Also, anything cooked tandoori or shish style.

For worst food: mushrooms, they make me very sick, even smelling them makes my stomach turn. I never liked the ‘classic’ English vegetables, like carrots, cauliflower, and cabbage; growing up in a boring unadventurous household, it took a long time to be exposed to other veg like spinach, sweetcorn, sweet potatoes and asparagus, which I really like.
 
Best Drink...
Pomegranate tea – wouldn’t normally go for ‘unusual’ teas, but the pomegranate gives it a really nice sweetness. Also, I really got into iced black tea with lemonade on our last USA trip.
 
Best Alcoholic Drink / Worst Alcoholic Drink...
I don’t often drink, but when I do it would be a pint of Guinness; dark lager; or a good port.

Worst drink would be whisky, whether blended or single malt, doesn’t matter, it’s all disgusting!
 
Best Friend...
This is easy – my wife, Sylvy. I was so, so lucky to meet her, she has been so supportive and patient with all my studies, writing and side-projects, and she makes me try to be a better person every day.
 
Best Writing Moment...
Can I be cheeky and pick three?

The ‘lightning bolt’ moment when Brian Brackbrick came into being. I was doing one of the regular football car trips with my grandsons, and we were chatting about unusual names on the way home. One of the names that came out was ‘Brian Brackbrick’, just out of the blue, and this character pinged to life in my head and hasn’t left me alone since!

After the first delivery arrived, opening the box and holding copies of my very first children’s book, Brian Brackbrick and the Hazard of Harry Hatman. An indescribable feeling.

Receiving a hand-written review of the book from a happy reader. The fact that a child had taken the time to sit and write this really affected me, and I think I had something in my eye for a little while!
 
Best Childhood Memory / Worst Childhood Memory...
I had a pretty boring and lonely childhood to be honest, so I learned early on to retreat into books and comics. Discovering the books and worlds of Roald Dahl, Dick King-Smith and CS Lewis really helped, and unknowingly gave me a good grounding for writing my own stories. I also have to credit Simon Furman for his work on the UK Transformers comics – the story arc “Target: 2006” was a masterwork of short, punchy storytelling and plot development.

For a specific memory, I still fondly remember getting my first games console – original NES, none of your Switch or Wii back then – and playing Mega Man for hours and hours.
 
Best Word...
Hmm. I really like the word “Behold!” It’s one of those words that doesn’t need the support of any other words, it does the job all by itself! Also, “nudgepot” is a great child-friendly substitute swear-word…
 
Best Shop...
We all need to support our independent bookshops, they provide such an important resource to readers and writers, especially the self-published ones. Foyles in Birmingham, UK, is a great bookstore, big enough to host and facilitate events and signings, but with an independent mindset.
 
Best Sport...
Youth football. Two of my grandsons play in local teams every weekend, so I spend a lot of time either at matches or at training sessions. Frankly, watching the kids play is better than the overpaid professionals, they haven’t yet learned all the bad habits!
 
Best Job...
Although I do have a full-time ‘proper’ job, writing is, for me, the best job in the world, especially writing for children. It’s an enjoyable process and nothing is a chore, and you have the potential to make a positive impact on children’s lives – a real privilege.
 
Best Saying...
This is quoting a film, so it’s someone else’s saying, but I can’t put it better:
“Do or do not. There is no try.”
 
Best Teacher...
My Doctorate supervisor at the University of Portsmouth, Dr. Isobel Ryder. A positive presence and influence throughout the course.
 
Best Time of Day / Worst Time of Day...
Best: early evening. The work day is done, dinner is finished and cleared away, time to relax together.

Worst: first thing in the morning!
 
Best Room...
My study. I have everything set up to write, and also a turntable with a shelf full of classic vinyl. (Also an Xbox, but that’s not for me, honest…)
  
Best Smell / Worst Smell...
In my ‘proper’ job I work for a fragrance manufacturer, so I am exposed to a wide variety of smells all the time, good and bad. I really like vanilla as an odour, and red apple, and orange blossom…I could go on! Thinking about finished perfumes, I like either complex ones like Le Male (JPG), or something light and fresh like Issey Miyake.

Worst smell: bad personal hygiene. Absolutely no excuse for it.
 
Best TV Show / Worst TV Show...
The Apprentice UK: love watching this every year, so entertaining. The contestants had to visit our UK headquarters to complete a task a few seasons ago.

Frasier: smartest comedy around. Essentially a seaside farce at heart, but executed in such a clever way, and it always assumes a level of awareness from its audience.

Worst: any of the many many reality shows that seem to be filling up the schedules. At best, empty entertainment; at worst, quite dangerous if young people hold up the reality ‘stars’ as something aspirational.
 
Best Gadget...
I resisted getting an iPhone for quite some time. Now I have one, however, I can appreciate how they can make life so much easier for people. Also, there are apps to improve accessibility for the visually-impaired, so this is an instance of technology making a positive difference.
 
Best Sound...
Kids laughing, when they really properly lose it and laugh uncontrollably.
A grand piano played by someone who knows what they’re doing.
There are a few singers who have a certain warmth and tone to their voice, that you have to stop and listen to – like Otis Redding, George Michael, Dusty Springfield.
 
Best Movie...
The Empire Strikes Back – my favourite film, I could watch this over and over again. A lot of life lessons in here if you pay attention. Also the Godfather; Shawshank Redemption; and I have a soft spot for the Transformers Animated Movie from 1986, or at least the first 15/20 minutes.
 
Best Time of Year / Worst Time of Year...
Best: The week between Christmas and New Year. I always have time off from work over this period, so it’s a lot of family time and relaxing.

Worst: January and February. Christmas and New Year are over; it’s a long time until the next vacation; and it’s cold!
 
Best School Subject / Worst School Subject...
Probably English at school. Science wasn’t taught very well at my school, so I have learnt all I know for my day job and career since leaving school.

Worst: P.E.! I wasn’t – and still am not – very ‘sporty’ so this was torture for me.
 
Best Body Part / Worst Body Part...
Best: the only decent thing is my brain I think!
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Worst: my spine is partially fused together (I have AS, Ankylosing Spondylitis), so this makes things awkward and uncomfortable sometimes. I have to keep reminding myself that there a lot of people in the world with much, much worse conditions and illnesses.