Felix Riley

Felix Riley is a British novelist, screenwriter, producer and entrepreneur. Notable works include The Set Up[1] and The Inside Job.

Felix Riley
BornGraham D. Riley
Essex
Pen nameFelix Riley
OccupationNovelist, screenwriter, producer, entrepreneur
LanguageEnglish
NationalityBritish
Alma materUniversity of Edinburgh
GenresThriller
comedy
Notable worksThe Set Up
The Inside Job
Notable awardsBBC Radio Comedy Writers Bursary
SpouseEmma Riley
Children2
Website
felixriley.com

Early life and studies

Riley began his studies in Mental Philosophy at the University of Edinburgh,[2] graduating in 1993.

Early comedy writing career

Riley began his comedy career on the BBC Radio 4 satire show Weekending. His involvement ran from 1993 through to 1998, including one year as Script Associate and recipient of the BBC Radio Comedy Writers Bursary.

Some of the other radio credits during this time include The Zoë Ball Breakfast Show (BBC Radio 1) as a member of the show's posse, Cross Talk (BBC Radio 4) as Producer/writer/creator, the Simon Mayo Show (BBC Radio 1), The Scott Mill's Breakfast Show (BBC Radio 1), Chris Moyles (Radio 1), Xmas Panto (BBC Radio 4 1999 with Robbie Coltrane, R. Wilson, C. Anderson, Diana Rigg, Miriam Margolyes and N. Hancock), The News Quiz (BBC Radio 4), and The News Huddlines (BBC Radio 2).

Television credits during this time included, amongst others, The Rory Bremner Show (C4), The 11 O’Clock Show (C4), The Lily Savage Show (Carlton), and The Big Breakfast (Channel 4).

Riley partnered with the comedy writer Simon Littlefield during much of this time as well as performing stand-up in the mid-1990s, appearing at, amongst other venues, The Comedy Store.[3]

City and entrepreneurial career

In 2003 Riley took a break from writing from which he didn’t know if he would return. He gained a job at the leading American brokerage Cantor Fitzgerald where he joined the sales team of their financial spread betting arm, Cantor Index. In 2006 he launched his own financial binary betting firm, ChoiceOdds, which he sold fifteen months later to the American brokerage firm MF Global where he became Managing Director of his division.[4]

Credits

Novels

Having worked in Finance in the City at the height of the Credit Crunch Riley was struck not only by what he saw as the criminal nature of it but also the lack of understanding amongst the wider public. Inspired by this he set out to write a book that, whilst a high-octane thriller, would explain exactly what the Credit Crunch was – and why it was a scam perpetrated by the banks. That book was The Set Up,[5] published by Michael Joseph, a Penguin Books imprint. It was the first in his Mike Byrne series which also includes the follow up The Inside Job.[6]

Politics

In 2016 he stood unsuccessfully as a Labour candidate in the Elmbridge Borough council elections for the ward of Claygate.[7]

References
  1. "The Set Up by Felix Riley, Judi Spiers Show – BBC Radio Devon". BBC. Retrieved 2016-11-27.
  2. "Curtis Brown". www.curtisbrown.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-11-13.
  3. "How to become a successful writer – and get paid". BBC Writersroom. 2014-01-29. Retrieved 2016-11-13.
  4. "Curtis Brown". www.curtisbrown.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-11-13.
  5. "First Writes: author Felix Riley discusses his 'Secret Service thriller' The Set Up". The List. 2011-04-13. Retrieved 2016-11-13.
  6. "The Inside Job by Felix Riley". www.penguin.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-11-13.
  7. "Elmbridge elects (again): Twenty borough seats up for grabs". Sutton Guardian. Retrieved 2016-11-13.
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