Damian Barr
Website: http://www.theliterarysalon.co.uk
Instagram: @damianbarrliterarysalon
Twitter: @damian_barr
Damian Barr is an award-winning writer, columnist and salonnier, books are at the heart of Damian’s life. He is a story-teller- some true, some truer still, a few of his own but mostly those of others at his Literary Salon. He tells stories to help people better understand themselves and others, to ask better questions and not provide easy answers. The Financial Times recently described him as a ‘literary impresario’. The Guardian says he’s ‘one of the most connected men in publishing’. GQ listed him as one of the 100 Most Connected Men in Britain. Since his first piece ran in the Guardian in 1996, he’s written for national newspapers and magazines. He’s been a columnist from the Times, Sunday Times and Big Issue. Highlights include: revisiting New Orleans a year after Katrina to discover why one hotel survived while all around perished, travel to Venice to understand why it's really sinking and helping to fly a tiny plane around New Zealand for a sky safari. In 2016 he was Highly Commended by BSME as Columnist of the Year for his Big Issue column which covered topics as varied as fuel poverty and misogyny in politics. As Drinks Critic for the Sunday Times, he was the magazine's much-loved BarrFly from 2014. For a decade he was Literary Editor of Soho House. 'Novel Destinations’ is his book and travel column for High Life. His novel, You Will Be Safe Here came out in 2019.
What is your idea of perfect happiness? Happiness is never perfect and that's what makes it so. Accepting this means me can find more happy moments and be conscious of them when they occur.
Which living person do you most admire? Diana Athill--she's an inspiration personally and professionally. She was born during a zepelling raid (zepellin!) in 1917. Now 100, she lives more in a day than most of us do in a month. She's totally engaged and writes every day. Kerouac, Naipul and Keane all the joy of being edited by her before she turned her hand to memoir.
What is your greatest extravagance? Time--using it to read books I don't absolutely have to.
What is your current state of mind? Wandering. I have just finished the edits on my first novel and there are another FOUR stories now jostling to be told. This from a man who never planned to write a novel. So I am trying to listen to these voices and not just let the loudest one win.
What do you consider the most overrated virtue? Respectability.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse? Delicious--everything is delicious right now.
Which talent would you most like to have? Do we mean super-power? Or do we mean talent? Hmmm. I'd love to be able to ride a bike hands-free. It looked cool when I was ten. It looks good now.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I'd be a bit kinder to myself.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?My friendships, both life-long and new.
If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be? My chickens have a rather lovely life--all the corn they want, little tickles behind their ears (yes, chickens have ears). I don't think it would be bad to be one of my chickens. Or Elizabeth I.
Where would you most like to live? Where I live now--Brighton.
What is your most treasured possession? A box of letters from my boyfriend that he wrote to me when I was a student in Texas and he was a fresh graduate in London.
What is your most marked characteristic? I am very tall and often people don't realise this until I get close to them and they're surprised.
What do you most value in your friends? Loyalty.
Who are your favorite writers? This should be easy but it's not. So, no, I can't answer it. I will say this: I read at least 10 books every month and often as many as 20. I am generous but particular.
Who is your hero of fiction? Oooooh. Let's go with Charlie Bucket.
Which historical figure do you most identify with? Varies day to day. Currently I am feeling like Charles II--recently restored.
Who are your heroes in real life? In no particular order: Alice Walker, my Mum, Dolly Parton, Angela Lansbury, my husband.
What is it that you most dislike? Prejudice dressed up as fact.
What is your greatest regret? I've yet to have it.
What is your motto? Enjoy it.