Paul Pickering

Paul Pickering is a British novelist and short story writer. He is best known for his book The Blue Gate of Babylon (1989), a New York Times Notable Book of the Year.

Born in 1952 in London, Paul Pickering attended the Royal Masonic Schools and the University of Leicester. He earned a PhD in Creative Writing from Bath Spa University. He has presented his doctoral thesis to the Bulgakov Society in Moscow and completed a Hawthornden Fellowship Residency on Lake Como. Pickering is a member of the Folio Prize Academy.

Pickering's debut novel, Wild About Harry (1985), is set in Paraguay and follows an English Major who becomes like the war criminal he is protecting. The book was long-listed for the Booker Prize and was praised for its comedic and inventive style.

In 1986, Pickering published Perfect English, a story set in Nicaragua during the Contra war. Compared to Evelyn Waugh's early novels, the novel has a wicked sense of humor. It was also long-listed for the Booker Prize.

The Blue Gate of Babylon (1989) is a black comedy set in 1960s Berlin, where a diplomat sets up a brothel on the orders of British Intelligence. The book established Pickering as a significant voice in British literature and earned him a place among the top ten young British novelists by WH Smith.

Pickering's novel Charlie Peace (1991) critiques organized religion. Published by Random House in the US, the book was banned in the UK. J.G. Ballard praised the novel, calling Pickering's work "truly subversive."

In 2010, Pickering released The Leopard's Wife, a novel inspired by a trip down the Congo River. The book weaves together Congolese politics, suspense, and classical music. It was well-received for its bold storytelling and rich setting.

Over the Rainbow (2012) is set in Afghanistan and explores themes of love, espionage, and the shifting geopolitical landscape.

Elephant (2021) is about unselfish and redemptive love, personified as an elephant. The story shifts between revolutionary Russia and modern America, following the adventures of a teenage exile and an American academic. The novel received acclaim for its imaginative and richly detailed narrative.

Pickering's latest work, Lucy (2024), is set in post-World War II Berlin. The novel opens with a naked, burning man running up a hill of rubble, saved by an American colonel. The story is a tale of intrigue, sex, and sacrifice. Pickering describes the novel as exploring the beautiful human paradox that the more we try to control things, the more they fall apart. "The fact that we humans can break any tyranny is one of the most beautiful things in creation," Pickering says.

In addition to his novels, Pickering has written plays, film scripts, and columns for The Times and Sunday Times.

Paul Pickering lives between London and the Pyrenees.

Photo credit: paul-pickering.com