FAQ
Will the A to Z of almost Everything be revised and updated?
Yes, the plan is to produce a fresh edition every two years. The newest one going on sale towards the end of Summer 2003.
Can you supply quiz questions for functions, pub quizzes, television shows, Internet etc?
Yes, the supply of questions for any quiz-related event can be arranged on a commercial basis.
Would you like to be informed of errata?
Yes please, in fact any suggestions for future editions would also be welcomed.
Would it be possible for you to host our quiz?
Yes, as well as supplying and verifying questions I am also available to organise and host quizzes, present prizes, or generally talk quizzing.
How does one obtain a good general knowledge?
Take an interest in what is going on around you, read newspapers, take part in quizzes, learn stock lists...oh, and read my book of course!
How do you manage to get on so many television shows?
Well, the ones I really want to do I simply apply for and hope to get an audition. Occasionally I am approached by a production company who thinks I may be suitable for their show.
What were your Mastermind subjects?
Elizabeth I of England (in which they managed to catch me out on one question) and Mary, Queen of Scots (in which I managed to answer all my questions with no passes).
What gave you the idea of compiling the A to Z of almost Everything?
Frustration at having to carry a proliferation of books with me when traveling in order to get a good read and further frustration at the lack of proper research carried out by other reference works.
To what extent did you research the A to Z of almost Everything?
Every line was crafted without the aid of the Internet or blind referral to existing text. For example, every World Embassy was contacted to ensure the truth of a country's history, geography, demography, flag and national anthem. Qualifications are added where my list differs from other texts such as in my list of British Prime Ministers.
"Do you still actively take part in quizzes"?
My commitment to the books, hosting all sorts of quizzes, and setting for the British Quiz Championships take up most of my spare time but I do still occasionally dip my toe in the water. Thanks to the services of another very eminent question-setter in Trevor Parry I was relieved of setting duties for the 2002 British Quiz Championship and placed a respectable third.
"Do you have any future projects in mind"?
Well the A to Z of almost Everything volume two is due in the shops in August and it has been a massive task to update but I have also been commissioned to write an A to Z of Sport by next Christmas and this promises to be an even bigger one. With promotional things and my aforementioned hosting duties I live a fairly hectic life.
"Your experience as a general knowledge buff made you the obvious candidate to write the A to Z of almost Everything but are you equally well-versed in your sporting knowledge"?
Although I do not specialise in sports quizzes generally I have existed in a sporting environment all my life. From the early days of captaining my school cricket team and winning the school cross-country championships I have played several sports to club and county level.