Beginner's Pluck: Neil Hegarty

In 1998, leaving university, Neil worked as an editor for a dot com travel company.

Then, turning 30, he started sketching out a novel. And though the idea for his debut came some 10 years ago, he has written five non-fiction books during that time. There were two books about Dublin; then, for BBC Books, The Story of Ireland and the Secret History of London.

“Then I ghost-wrote a book for Jeremy Paxman on the Koreans. Then the authorised biography of David Frost.