A.A. Gill is perhaps Britain’s most notorious restaurant critic, known for his bold statements that have often stirred up controversy in the press.
Writing for a living was an unexpected career choice for Gill, as he is severely dyslexic and writes all of his pieces by dictation.
Raised outside of London, he had quite a tough time in school from an early age.
“I’m dyslexic but nobody was really dyslexic in the Fifties and Sixties. So I was the dim one. I had quite a bad stammer. And I wasn’t any good at sport.”
Gill’s first choice of vocation was art – even as a child, he wanted to be an artist when he ‘grew up’. He studied art after finishing school and spent 6 years trying to make it professionally. After little success by age 30, he dropped his artistic ambitions and turned to a second love: restaurants and cooking.
His career as a writer may have started later than usual, but it took off right away. He is renowned for his incredibly engaging and intelligent writing style, full of quotable phrases designed in equal parts to shock and delight… “Food and pubs go together like frogs and lawnmowers” is a particularly memorable one!
Now 60, he continues to prowl London’s restaurant scene, writing witty and occasionally outrageous pieces for his columns.
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Sarah Forrest is a Literacy Specialist for the Easyread System, an online program for children with dyslexia, reading difficulties, auditory processing weakness and more. www.easyreadsystem.com
