The man behind the bestsellers – Read an excerpt from Wilbur Smith’s autobiography On Leopard Rock
More about the book!

The Big Issue has shared an insight into Wilbur Smith’s life, with some excerpts from his new autobiography On Leopard Rock.

130 million books worldwide in 26 languages – now the global bestseller tells his own story for the first time.

Smith has lived an incredible life of adventure, and in On Leopard Rock he shares the extraordinary true stories that have inspired his fiction.

On Leopard Rock is out now from Jonathan Ball Publishers!

The extracts cover Smith’s school days and the very beginning of his writing career.

Read on:

I remember the first time I saw someone reading my first novel, When the Lion Feeds. I was in the departure lounge at Heathrow in 1964, after a disheartening trip to London when I realised that the red carpet of success was not going to be laid out for me after publishing one novel. An attractive woman was reading my book! I was so overwhelmed that I walked over to her and said, ‘Excuse me, you’re reading my book.’ She looked at me and then put the book down and said, ‘I’m sorry, someone had just left it here.’

I would hope my 16-year-old self would look at me now and see something in himself where all of this would have been possible. Writing fiction on my own terms, in my own way, and never doffing my cap to another is something my younger self would be pretty pleased about. I think he would look at me and say, ‘you jammy sod, save some for me!’

I’d tell my younger self, be careful what you wish for! If you don’t have the chops to deal with the trappings of success, go and work for someone else. The criticism, the uncertainties of self-doubt – it will gobble you up. I’ve made a lot of mistakes. Unfortunately they are the only way to learn. Fail again; fail better. Move on; learn.