Adam Hamdy

View Reviews of books by Adam Hamdy

Countdown with ...

Adam Hamdy

Adam Hamdy was born and raised (for the most part) in London. As a child, he spent three years living in Cairo and went to school in Giza, near the Pyramids. He read law at Oxford and Philosophy at London, so he can tell you why something is morally wrong and then come up with cunning small print to enable you to get away with it.

He left a successful career as a management consultant to pursue his passion for storytelling, and now writes novels and screenplays for film and TV.

He’s a Clay Pigeon Shooting Association gold marksman, has almost died rock climbing, and is a veteran (code for experienced but not necessarily good) skier.

He’s fascinated by big questions. Why are we here? What does it all mean? Did Han Solo really have to die?

Adam lives in Mauritius with his wife, author Amy McLellan, and their three children.

Interviewed 29 April 2023

Ten words to sum up your working life to date ...

Chained to the wall of Plato’s cave, searching for perfection.

Nine things you can see from where you're sitting ...

A framed poster advertising one of Jimi Hendrix’s first concerts. Pink Floyd concept artwork. My reading chair. A greedy robin. A decorative Japanese plant pot. Headphones. My current manuscript. A way marker from the Barbossine ski run in Chatel. Tropical sunshine.

Eight minutes to prepare a meal. What's it going to be ?

Smashed avocado and feta cheese on pumpkin toast.

Seven people you'd like to go for a drink with ...

Alex Honnold, Tommy Caldwell, Conrad Anker and Lynn Hill because I love hearing about great climbing adventures. Dean Buonomano, the neuroscientist who wrote Your Brain Is a Time Machine, because we could trade notes on neuroscience and discuss what it’s like to live in Plato’s cave. Peter Biskind, author of Easy Riders, Raging Bulls because I can’t get enough Hollywood history. It’s a town without rules that attracts the creative and kooky, and the desperate and desperado. Adam Sydney, a writer pal who lives on the side of a volcano in Hawaii. I don’t get to see him that often.

Six things you can't live without ...

My wife and I had this exact conversation with our children at Christmas and came to the conclusion that other than friends and family, there’s nothing we can’t live without. However, that’s not really in the spirit of the question, so my six prized possessions are: my computer - it’s a temperamental old friend; my wedding ring, a reminder of my connection to an amazing person; my climbing harness because it keeps me safe in some tricky situations; the first proof of my first published novel, Pendulum, because it marked a real shift in my writing career; one of two banners we had made for Capital Crime with the photos and names of all our inaugural guests; the fountain pen I’ve written five books with.

Five favourite words ...

Lovely. Unbelievable. Fun. Exciting. Interesting.

Four places you'd run away to ...

Topanga, a small town just outside Malibu. Aberdyfi, a friendly Welsh town that has some great beaches. Toufailles, a tiny hamlet in southern France. Chatel, my favourite skiing village in the French Alps.

Three books you've bought recently ...

The Quality of Hurt by Chester Himes. The autobiography of one of the great crime authors. I’m not expecting many laughs. Blessed Be the Wicked by D A Bartley, an author I met at ThrillerFest. A Known Evil by Aidan Conway. Aidan and I have met a couple of times and interact on Twitter and he seems smart and insightful, so if the book is any reflection of the person I have high hopes.

Two things that make you rant ...

I’m not a great ranter because life is too short, but if you push me to breaking point, I’d have to say injustice and bad manners. No need for either.

One thing you'd tell your teenage self ...

Don’t take things too seriously. We’re all playing a game, but none of us know the rules.