ABOUT NICK
From broadcasting to books
Originally from London, Nick Hirst is a former BBC producer and journalist who specialised in music and entertainment programming. Before joining the BBC, he became the first professional television and radio presenter on Saudi Arabia’s English-language TV and radio services.
As a writer, Nick has written more than 200 magazine and internet articles, as well as travel, film and television reviews. In 2015, he worked on the script for ‘Sugar Blues’, a documentary film by acclaimed Czech director, Andrea Culcova.
His broadcasting career includes hundreds of radio programmes and interviews with some of the biggest names in music. For the BBC he has interviewed artists ranging from Sir Paul McCartney, the BeeGees to Ozzy Osbourne and Lemmy of Motorhead. Other rock stars and singers who sat the other side of the microphone include Lynryd Skynyrd and Megadeth, Cher and the Bangles and many, many more.
Hirst won a Sony Gold Award in 1994 for the documentary series ‘Homeward Bound’, and a New York Festival Award for the IT series ‘New Horizons’ in 2001.
After spending 13 years living in the Czech Republic, Nick now lives in Brussels, Belgium, where his wife works for the European Parliament.
The Back Story
Born in Windsor, England, he went to school in Wimbledon before studying Drama at Middlesex University. Subsequently, he toured extensively in multiple theatre productions throughout the UK as well as appearing in ‘Satyricon’ in London’s West End. He also had small parts in a number of UK TV series and played in various rock bands through the 70’s 80’s and 90’s.
These include The Breakneck Brothers, Rosedale Intake and Sarah Stone and Band of Strangers among others. He has written over 150 songs for his own bands as well as for various theatre companies in the UK.
Deciding to move into a broadcast media career, he worked on BBC local radio in the UK before the move to Saudi Arabia.
Returning to the UK, he joined BBC World Service as Senior Music Producer, making a variety of series in different music genres and interviewing dozens of music celebrities. (Right: Nick with Susannah Hoffs of The Bangles).
Four years later he made the move from international to domestic broadcasting joining the BBC’s most successful national radio station, Radio 2, as Executive Producer.
After a decade with the UK’s premier broadcaster, he left to head up the broadcast PR service of the British Government’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
While he was there, the UK and USA planned and executed the war on Iraq in 2003. All of the inside knowledge he gained at this time provided a rich source of inspiration for ‘The Shape of Rain’, along with the unique insights he was afforded into Saudi Arabian life during his time as a broadcaster in the Middle East.
A message from Nick Hirst
Hi! Welcome to my website.
This is where I keep my portfolio of my most recent writing with the focus firmly on my novels – ‘The Shape of Rain’ and ‘Second Spider from the Right’.
I hope you find this a useful and fun place to come if you’re interested in writing and, of course, reading. Here you can get all sorts of bonus material and free samples from the books and find out what I’m up to and be exposed to my occasional rants!
Thanks for visiting the site!
Nick
