Richard O. Smith

I write across many different platforms - like a railway station graffitist. I've written for BBC Radio 4's The Now Show, The News Quiz & BBC2's Dara O'Briain's Science Club. Plus I'm the principal screenwriter of The Unbeatables movie starring Rupert Grint and Rob Brydon - and penned the novel of the film (contains extra adventures and jokes not in the movie).

'Oxford Examined: Town & Clown' features 75 true funny stories about Oxford and was described as "The wittiest and most truthful guide to a city you'll read" by Countdown's Susie Dent - disappointingly none of the words in her quote contained 9 letters! One kind reviewer branded me "The English David Sedaris" - alas that comparison was NOT based on sales!

My book on stupid criminals As Thick As Thieves ("Made me think I should have considered a life of crime" - Hugh Dennis) achieved a no. 1 bestseller slot. Fleetingly! Dr Lucy Worsley described Oxford Student Pranks as "a jam-packed jamboree of jollity" and German comedian Henning Wehn commented that my book on Britain's Most Eccentric Sports was "better than all 26 days of a cricket match". Comedian Lucy Porter said my book on the 1st Englishman to fly The Man With His Head in the Clouds was "very, very funny". Because she's lovely. And it's very, very funny.

I'm a Chortle award winner and a former National Football Writer of the Year Award winner (yeah, it surprised me too - I didn't have an acceptance speech planned). I've written for publications as diverse as The Guardian, The Independent, When Saturday Comes, The Onion Bag and edited football fanzine From Behind Your Fences documenting the continuous (mis)adventures of Boston United. I pen a regular humourous column Oxford Examined for the Oxford Times.

Writing humour books is the day job though I have a night job too: speaker and stand-up comedian. (Book me if you need a speaker - I'm suspiciously cheap!) Basically I work full-time for part-time wages - that's what us creative-types do, isn't it?