This talented author was born in South Africa but educated at Eton and New College, Oxford. The Drowning People, his first novel, gained him a “vast” advance and was published during his first year at university. It’s been translated into 22 languages and has sold over 3 million copies. Richard Mason funds a foundation in memory of his sister that pays for gifted South African children from poor backgrounds to attend the country’s top private schools and with a writing style that’s been compared to “Henry James on Viagra”, he’s definitely got many more pages to pen. An early critic, who told him he “should have killed [himself] rather than publish”, is now writing reviews of home décor shows.

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Two stories to keep beside you

Christopher Mason
The same people in the Steeple archive

Christopher Mason

A somewhat eccentric British-American transplant, Christopher Mason describes himself as an author, journalist, photographer, singer-songwriter and television presenter.

Helena Matheopolous
From the same Steeple territory

Helena Matheopolous

Fluent in six languages, this Athenian was fashion editor of The Tatler and a columnist for The Times. Resident in London’s Knightsbridge, Matheopoulos has written a biography of King Juan Carlos of Spain and wrote Fashion Designers at the Opera in 2011. Her parties are known for being full of character and her presence always […]