Paul Barrell

Writer
Film producer
and former footballer


Paul started writing in 2007. The trigger was a visit, to a remote farmhouse while on a family holiday in the S.W. France . One of the rooms had been converted into a library that contained a diverse selection of both French and English literature and over the next two weeks inspiration took hold and he began to write. His early literary efforts were sent to a copy writer at Channel 4 who rashly said his work although rough and ready, showed promise. His comments spurred Paul on. Since then he has written three contemporary stand alone novels, a Ghost story titled 18, and, he has just started work on a much darker novel, 'The Bleed ' set in the drug world of South London.He writes about people, places, and relationships. that have shaped his life . The underlying themes are a sense of mystery and the idea that our past and present are all inexplicably linked by invisible threads.

Paul was born in Lambeth in 1961 and spent his formative years growing up in South London. In 1971 his parents moved to Surrey where he attended Ewell Castle School for Boys. Here he excelled at sport, especially tennis, cross country and football. At 15 he was given trials at Chelsea , joined the youth team and played against Fulham . He left school after A levels, having taken all his exams a year early.

He was a party child of the 1980's and spent the next three years living in various flats in Chelsea and Pimlico. A chance meeting with a windsurfing instructor in Italy pointed him in the direction of food and drink , and a degree in Hotel Management increasing his knowledge in fine wines and gastronomy.Embracing the New Romantic lifestyle he partied the early eighties away at the Blitz and with Ricky Gervais in Camden.

When his parents divorced in 1984 he saw this as the perfect opportunity to fulfil his desire to travel overseas. He wanted more. He ended up in Australia running the Bay Garden Restaurant on Magnetic Island, a stones throw from the Great Barrier Reef. After a run in with immigration, he returned to the UK in the late eighties and decided that the boss/ employee relationship were not for him. He wanted to be an entrepreneur.

He gained qualifications in wine and led the way , by being one of first companies to import and distribute Organic Wines in the UK .Epicurean his upmarket wine company dealt with many high profile clients in London and he ran this successfully until 2005 while also owning a restaurant in Surrey.


His true passion for storytelling evolved alongside his business career. He always felt that telling a story enhanced the whole sales process. His favourite saying is :
'I used to open wine but now I open doors.'
He currently runs a wine blog and a premium fresh food company "lake2plate "in the Surrey Hills.

He is married with two children and lives in Surrey with his wife and rescue dog Lottie. He has always pursued his dreams and over the last forty years has skied most of the more challenging mountains in Europe. He still enjoys sport in his fifties and plays five a side football and tennis. He has been an ardent Chelsea fan and follows his team home and away when time permits.

The Girl In The White Dress is his third novel, and portray's adeptly his skills as an Indie writer. He has never been on a creative writing course and is self taught, although 10,000 hours practice should make you somewhat of an expert.

Also by Paul Barrell
The Girl In the White Dress published Feb 2020
Magnetic North Published Jan 2018
Postcards From Pimlico Published March 2016
Eighteen Stephen King meets the Sixth Sense Published October 2021