Tim Lott

Tim Lott came to prominence in 1996 with a memoir called The Scent of Dried Roses, an affecting treatment of his mother's depression and suicide. A regular contributor to cultural programmes on radio and television, Lott has written several novels, including White City Blue, a touching comedy about the compromises of adulthood, which won the Whitbread First Novel Award in 1999, and The Seymour Tapes, which explores the contemporary obsession with surveillance. 

TIM'S FAVOURITE SITES

Urban Dictionary - I am always trying to keep my language up to date, and write dialogue in the way people actually speak it. Urban Dictionary, which also includes a slang thesaurus is the best I have found so far for street argot, but it could still stand a fair bit of improvement. All the same, to know that a Dungeon Tan is what you get from playing too much X Box or that Hiberdating is a verb meaning someone who stands up all their friends when they start seeing someone romantically, is a great boon.

Alan Watts - I am perennially fascinated by Eastern philosophy and by far the greatest of Western interpreters is the late Alan Watts, a man largely forgotten in this country but who is a fount of wisdom and admired by people as diverse as Van Morrison, Trey Parker (of South Park fame) and Johnny Depp. This website is a great introduction to his work.

Rotten Tomatoes - Only one place to to find out which movies are worth going to see. Never lets you down.

Museum of Hoaxes - I always enjoy hoaxes and this is a great place to read about urban myths, conspiracy theories etc. Also good input on whether any of them are actually true or not ... Disappointing, apparently the 1968 moonshot wasn't staged in a studio after all.

Alibris - Very good for rare, collectible and out of print books, fantastic for gifts and bibliophiles.

The Guardian - Best newspaper with the best site, and an amazing archive.

6 January 2011