Paul Hoffman

Possibly the only novelist of his generation to be born by the light of a paraffin lamp, Paul Hoffman spent much of his childhood on airfields all around the world watching his father – a pioneer of sports parachuting - jumping out of aeroplanes. After a long battle with the English educational sysytem which involved avoiding school whenever possible he was offered a place to read English at New College, Oxford when no other university would interview him. After graduating he worked in over twenty diffferent jobs, including boardman in a betting shop, messenger boy to a City merchant bank and teacher. He was also senior film censor at the British Board of Film Classification.

His first novel, The Wisdom of Crocodiles (Black Swan), took thirteen years to write and went into its third imprint within six weeks of publication. The Independent called it ‘a masterpiece’ and The Mail on Sunday ‘a staggeringly good read’. Jude Law starred in the motion picture of the same name based on one part of the novel. Another film based on chapter ten of The Wisdom of Crocodiles is in the pipeline, as is a six-part BBC drama, The Passengers, based on chapter fourteen.

As a screenwriter he has worked with Francis Ford Coppola, is currently writing a film on the Life of Sir Walter Ralegh for Fragile films to be directed by Oliver Parker, and a contemporary New York thriller to be directed by Erik Skjoldbaerg. He is also adapting Webster’s The Duchess of Malfi for Infilm Productions.

His second novel, THE GOLDEN AGE OF CENSORSHIP, was published in 2007.

Do you remember the video nasty? It is 1984 and video has just arrived. With it comes a widespread distrust and fear. The public dread a deluge of porn and ultraviolence. Eager to reflect the public mood, Parliament decides to panic too, and gifts sweeping powers to the chief film censor, Nick Berg. Every film ever made has to be reclassified for home viewing. But rather than become a tool of moral hysteria, Berg has a grand plan. He will create an entirely new kind of censorship - benign, thoughtful, intelligent. First, he must create a team to implement his wishes. This 'Magnificent Seven' will have the power to decide what others can and cannot see. They will encounter the great monuments of censorship - "The Exorcist", "Cannibal Holocaust" and "Reservoir Dogs" - as well as the obscure and unexpected: "Rupert Bear" and "Little Yum" and the almost unwatchable "Nappy Love". But off-screen, all is soon not well in the inner sanctum. What Berg doesn't realize is that his prized rationale is flawed. Fault lines appear within his team of seven. And a struggle for power is set in motion which quickly leads to betrayal, madness and, ultimately, death. Paul Hoffman, a former senior censor at the British Board of Film Classification, has written a compelling and captivating novel that challenges our ideas about censorship, prejudice and the fine line between art and exploitation.

Paul Hoffman, a former senior censor at the British Board of Film Classification, has written a compelling and captivating novel that challenges our ideas about censorship, prejudice and the fine line between art and exploitation.

"engrossingly brilliant...an exhilaratingly engaging book" - The Spectator

"Hoffman's witty style and command of satire, coupled with the unique setting, makes this a very original and enjoyable novel" - Time Out