Andrew Daws

Biography

Andrew Daws was born in Bury St Edmunds, England, in 1962. After studying architecture in London and Glasgow, he is a practicing architect and master planner working in New Delhi, India. His buildings designed for, and within several successful firms of architects, have won prestigious awards. Andrew is also an artist and occasionally exhibits in London and the UK.

His first novel, recently revised and re-titled 'Architects', follows the fortunes of two young architects in search of love and success, often with hilarious results. 'The Marble Boy', his next novel, combines travel and fiction, and describes the psychological journey of a young art master, fleeing from controversy and the loss of a loved one. Will travel resolve his difficulties, and will he ever find love again? The novel has been described as ‘lyrical, tender, and sexually exhilarating.’

Andrew also writes short stories. His first collection, ‘August Blue, tells disorienting tales of the sea and sea voyages. 'Between the Leaves' is a darker collection for the adult gay reader, spinning brutal and often erotic fantasies from small, real-life events.

He has also recently completed a draft of a new novel set in Israel, and is at work on a new work set in India, where he currently lives.

Andrew has traveled extensively, and is attracted in particular to the Mediterranean region, which is the subject of ‘The Marble Boy', the Middle East, India and the Far East.

www.andrewdaws.co.uk

Smashwords Interview

What are your five favorite books, and why?
This is always a pleasure to answer. I am reading a tremendous amount right now, and have enjoyed most of the books I've read. Recently, Henry James' The Portrait of a lady, John Fowles' (a hero of mine) The French Lieutenant's Woman; John Williams' Stoner; W.G Sebald's Austerlitz; Kundera's Book of Laughter and Forgetting.
One favourite of mine, and one I return to every now and then, is E.M.Forster's A Passage to India, one of the greatest books written. Quite different is Henry Miller's The Colossus of Maroussi, one of the best 'travel' books I've read. I particularly liked his Tropic of Cancer. I am a particular fan of Virginia Woolf, and am looking forward to reading most of them again, soon. For quite different reasons, I have always loved Armistead Maupin's Tales of The City series. It has influenced me: characters that are real, funny, succeeding and failing in equal measure.
What do you read for pleasure?
Mainly fiction. I am always keen to extend the range of my reading, especially as I am aware that there are so many great and important books I haven't read. That's why I've just read Henry James for instance. I like to read non-fiction, too. Books about history, art, and architecture, of course, which is my first profession.
Read more of this interview.

Where to find Andrew Daws online

Where to buy in print

Books

The Underwater Man: A short story
Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 13,430. Language: English. Published: February 11, 2015 . Categories: Fiction » Young adult or teen » Literary, Fiction » Humor & comedy » Black comedy
A boy yearns for recognition, but realises his father is nothing like the kind of man he wants to be.
Brighton Beach Memory: A short love story
Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 15,160. Language: English. Published: February 11, 2015 . Categories: Fiction » LGBTQ+ » Gay, Fiction » Humor & comedy » Black comedy
A chance encounter while swimming off the beach at Brighton, England results in frustration for Oliver as he longs for love
August Blue: A short story
Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 9,050. Language: English. Published: February 11, 2015 . Categories: Fiction » LGBTQ+ » Gay, Fiction » Coming of age
Charlie and his friends steal a boat, but years later, he remembers not the crime but the fear when, swimming, he knew he was going to drown.
Absolute Depth: A short story
Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 22,000. Language: English. Published: February 11, 2015 . Categories: Fiction » Coming of age
Reminiscences by a famous artist's son to a fatherless student are clouded when each has to confront the consequences of their past
Voyages: A Novella
Price: $0.99 USD. Words: 31,430. Language: English. Published: March 26, 2014 . Categories: Fiction » LGBTQ+ » Gay, Fiction » Romance » Action/adventure
(1.00 from 1 review)
Witty, funny, and highly observant, Voyages takes us across the Atlantic in the company of Miles, a seasoned traveller, a Countess recouperating from illness, a failed poet, and a host of other juicy characters, who all seem to think of Miles as a 'catch'. Will they net him, or will he get away once more?
August Blue: Seven Sea Stories
Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 96,540. Language: English. Published: March 18, 2014 . Categories: Fiction » Anthologies » Short stories - single author, Fiction » LGBTQ+ » General
What is true and what is false, what is love, and how we come to terms with loss - this beautiful, tender, and often funny collection of short stories about the sea tries to answer some of those questions.
The Marble Boy
Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 93,980. Language: English. Published: March 18, 2014 . Categories: Fiction » LGBTQ+ » General, Fiction » Romance » Adult
Lyrical, tender and sexually exhilarating, The Marble Boy is a record of a man's journey through the Mediterranean. Real and imaginary, Edmund tries to come to terms with lost love until, finally, he finds a new opportunity to love again. But, who is Edmund, and why is he running away?
Powerlines
Price: $2.99 USD. Words: 84,640. Language: English. Published: November 7, 2011 . Categories: Fiction » Humor & comedy » Satire, Fiction » LGBTQ+ » Gay
The twists and turns of career, sex, and love, make an explosive mix in this tale of naked power and thwarted ambition. Fall in love with Brian and Dave as they try to make it...and make out.

Andrew Daws' tag cloud

architect    artist    beach    betrayal    boat    boating    boys    brutality    bully at work    chance encounter    comedy    depth    diving    father and daughter    father and son    father and son relationship    fear    finding love    funny    greece    growing up    harbour    hero    ho    imaginary    lies    loneliness    losing love    loss    love    love relationships    memories    memory    past    power    remorse    resolution    revenge    romance    sea    search    search for love    sex    sexist    sexy    tender    tender love story    time    transatlantic    transatlantic liners    transatlantic travel    travel    travel and love    truth    villainy    voyage    voyaging    wife    youth