Philip Gwynne Jones, the accidental novelist

In the space of a few short years, Philip Gwynne Jones has become the most prolific British writer based in Venice, writing about the city. Apologies for calling him English in this interview… he is, of course, Welsh!

I had the chance to talk to him one sunny, chilly February day earlier this year in his charming home in a quiet corner of Dorsoduro. One of the things few appreciate about Philip is that he is very much the accidental novelist. He and his wife Caroline came to Venice to teach, nothing else. Only a sequence of unplanned happy events led to him coming up with the Nathan Sutherland series. 

Here’s the chance to listen to him telling the story of how he became an author, the unique setting of his new book out this week, The Venetian Sanctuary. And how Nathan is taking a holiday to be replaced next year by a brand new series set in Sicily.