Hello!
I'm Sam.
I grew up in a sleepy, suburban town outside of London. Not much happened there, so I had to make up my own fun. It was good practice - now making up fun stuff is my actual job!
I love creating stuff, playing games, making music, and being silly with my family and mates. To find out a little bit more about what I do, click below!
Level select: my books so far
Bonus levels: True Tales for Oxford University Press
2024Bat-men on the Moon!A Hoax from History
2024Doctor SnowDisease Detective
2026Scientists, Assemble!How Penicillin Changed the WorldPlus stories in lots of other OUP series, including Granphibian, Hero Academy, Adventure Mouse and more.
My scrapbook
I grew up in a town south of London, playing the Lego, making games and comics, and then forming a rock band with my best bud Loo Loo.
I’ve lived in lots of towns and places: above a joke shop (we had a laugh), in a basement (massive spiders), and in a house with a ghost (we called him Kevin). I've lived by the sea, by an ancient bridge, and now I live beneath a miniature mountain! It's PEAK.
I often get asked how old I am. Maybe I should start using Oil of Olay. Let’s just say I’m 97 years younger than the Eiffel Tower. We share a birthday! Both of us are a pair of near April Fools.
I really like reading books about tiny people, like the Minpins, the Borrowers, the Lilliputians and the Oompa-Loompas. Lots of my books are about being small.
I also live with two tiny creatures, my kids Poe and Buffy. Although they’re getting bigger every day. They DO stop growing at some point, don’t they? I’m scared.
I love writing true stories. The best one I ever wrote for a magazine had the headline: ‘MY DOG WAS KIDNAPPED BY THE TALIBAN!’ These days I write true stories for Oxford University Press, too.
Once I saw this in the newspaper and I thought OH MY GOD IT’S HAPPENING IT’S REALLY HAPPENING IT’S ZOMBIES. I’ve read a book on zombie survival, so I think I’d make it. For about five minutes.
Apparently when I was young I had a real thing for designing elaborately nasty scarecrows. No idea what I had against birds. I’m sorry, my feathered friends.
I used to be part of a theatre company called Dumbshow. We put on a load of very dumb shows. That part of my life taught me a very valuable lesson: it is actually possible to have a job where you are paid for being silly.
Questions children ask me
Click a question to see the answer. Handy for classes doing author projects.
Where do you get your ideas?
From the Chicken of Inspiration! I let it hatch ‘what ifs’ in my head almost every day. It helps that I read, watch, play, listen to and make stories a lot, too.
Which of your books should I read first?
Like mystery? Go for The Snow Merchant. Like a quest? Do Hercufleas. Obsessed with tiny things? Lilliput’s your jam. Wanna be playful? Press Start to Play. Don’t like taking other people’s advice? Go jump on a bag of carrots.
How long does it take to write a book?
Hopefully, the first draft gets done pretty quick – in about six months. But after that, it can take up to two or three years to finish. Sometimes even longer. Sometimes you just have to sit with an idea. The longer you sit with an idea, the better it tends to get!
Did you always want to be a writer?
No, I wanted to be a taxi driver. Which is weird, because I actually have never learned to drive. Well, I did try to learn to drive ONCE. And then I crashed into a bush. You’re all safer with me walking, I think.
What's your favourite game?
Board games and card games? Me and my kids play a lot of HERO SLAM, a game by Jamie Smart. It’s really fun. I also love an old game called POWER. Everyone takes their turns at the same time, and the little miniature pieces are so cool.
As for computer games, I love a game called Final Fantasy VII. I loved it so much that I wrote a 250-page sequel to it when I was about 15. Writing a story about a story you love is called fanfiction. That was one of the first times I really thought of myself as a writer!
Can I send you my story?
Sure you can! Send it to me here.
And some VERY important questions
This one's a bit above my pay grade. Mostly I just get asked questions like 'Would you like a squirrel as a pet?'
For teachers, festivals & press
Download a short bio, a photo and my book covers for newsletters, programmes and posters.
Sam Gayton is a UK-based writer, poet and performer for children and families. His writing has been published in several countries and languages. His plays have toured the UK and abroad to acclaim. His music soundtracked Season 1 of Channel 4 sitcom ‘Buffering’. His workshop and event clients include the British Museum, Camp Bestival, and Edinburgh International Book Festival. He was born in Kent, England. He currently lives in Edinburgh, Scotland.
