Two former Herbert Smith lawyers have, coincidentally, both had their first novels published.
Daniel Harris trained at the firm before packing it in on qualification in 2006 and writing a blog for ESPN Soccernet, which gave him material for his book On The Road: A Journey Through A Season. Not a Kerouac-inspired journey through 1940s America, but rather a trip around England and Europe following Manchester United during its 2009/2010 season.
Meanwhile Louise Soraya Black - whose debut novel Pomegranate Sky is published this October - trained at Slaughter and May, qualified into financial services, moved to Travers Smith and finally to Herbert Smith. Her novel, a love story set in contemporary Iran, was written in the evenings and at weekends over six years whilst she was still working. After finding an agent, she packed in the day job last year - which is hardly surprising, given that her novel has picked up the Virginia prize for fiction.
So any advice for aspiring scribes in law firms? Soraya Black advises persistence, especially in the face of inevitable rejections. Whilst Harris suggests seeking opinions from your nearest and dearest about your skills as a writer.
It's not unusual for lawyers to enter the world of publishing. Hammonds got given a pasting in Fish Sunday Thinking, a former Mills & Reeve partner dished the dirt on carp fishing and a Freshfields lawyer published his debut "Who is Mr Satoshi" last month.
Tip Off ROF
Daniel Harris trained at the firm before packing it in on qualification in 2006 and writing a blog for ESPN Soccernet, which gave him material for his book On The Road: A Journey Through A Season. Not a Kerouac-inspired journey through 1940s America, but rather a trip around England and Europe following Manchester United during its 2009/2010 season.
Meanwhile Louise Soraya Black - whose debut novel Pomegranate Sky is published this October - trained at Slaughter and May, qualified into financial services, moved to Travers Smith and finally to Herbert Smith. Her novel, a love story set in contemporary Iran, was written in the evenings and at weekends over six years whilst she was still working. After finding an agent, she packed in the day job last year - which is hardly surprising, given that her novel has picked up the Virginia prize for fiction.
 |
A Herbert Smith lawyer yesterday |
So any advice for aspiring scribes in law firms? Soraya Black advises persistence, especially in the face of inevitable rejections. Whilst Harris suggests seeking opinions from your nearest and dearest about your skills as a writer.
It's not unusual for lawyers to enter the world of publishing. Hammonds got given a pasting in Fish Sunday Thinking, a former Mills & Reeve partner dished the dirt on carp fishing and a Freshfields lawyer published his debut "Who is Mr Satoshi" last month.