Lee Child, writer

Jan 11, 2026

Lee Child, bestselling author of the Jack Reacher series, shares his journey from a redundancy at 40 to creating a literary phenomenon. He discusses his unique approach to writing, emphasizing the thrill of discovery over outlines. Child reflects on the influences of his austere upbringing and his love for music, particularly The Beatles and Miles Davis. He reveals the origin of the name 'Reacher' and how revenge themes fuel his storytelling. Now passing the torch to his brother Andrew, Child contemplates retirement and the impact of mental health awareness.

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INSIGHT

Preserve Reader Joy By Writing Blind

Lee refuses to outline because he wants the same discovery joy as a reader when writing a book.
He preserves the freshness by never changing his first paragraph once it's written.

ANECDOTE

Beatles Moment Changed His Childhood

At eight, Lee Child heard The Beatles' She Loves You on a valve radio during a miserable family holiday and felt his life change immediately.
He says the song brought sunlight, joy and a sense that the world offered something for him.

ANECDOTE

Moved From Beatles To Stones

Lee moved from loving the Beatles to preferring The Rolling Stones because they felt rougher and more like him.
He chose (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction as a formative teenage musical turn.

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Lee Child is a writer who is best known for his series of bestselling novels featuring Jack Reacher. Reacher is an enigmatic 6ft 5in, 17-stone ex-military police major who rights wrongs before disappearing off into the sunset. The books have sold in their millions around the world and have inspired two films starring Tom Cruise and a television series.

Lee Child was born James - Jim - Grant in 1954 and grew up in Birmingham. He studied Law at the University of Sheffield and then joined the presentation department at Granada Television where he was a shop steward and became a thorn in the side of the management.

At 40 he was made redundant and sat down to write his first Reacher novel Killing Floor. He found himself an agent and the novel was published in March 1997 - the franchise was up and running. In the UK Lee outsells both Stephen King and John Grisham and worldwide he sells between 12 and 15 million copies a year.

In 2020 Lee announced that he was handing over the Reacher franchise to his younger brother Andrew Grant. The two brothers have worked on several novels since then and the thirtieth Reacher title features both brothers’ names on the cover.

Lee Child was appointed CBE in the 2019 Queen’s Birthday Honours.

He lives in the Lake District with his wife Jane. They have one daughter.

DISC ONE: She Loves You - The Beatles DISC TWO: (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction - The Rolling Stones DISC THREE: So What - Miles Davis DISC FOUR: Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-Flat Minor, Op. 23: I. Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso – Allegro con spirito. Performed by Stephen Hough (piano) and Minnesota Orchestra, conducted by Osmo Vänskä DISC FIVE: Joe’s Blues - Joe Pass DISC SIX: The Lemon Song - Led Zeppelin DISC SEVEN: Für Elise (Bagatelle No. 25 in A minor) Composed by Ludwig Beethoven and performed by Lang Lang DISC EIGHT: Delibes: Lakmé / Act 1: \"Sous le dôme épais\" (Flower Duet) Performed by Renée Fleming (soprano), Susan Graham (mezzo soprano), Philharmonia Orchestra, conducted by Sebastian Lang-Lessing

BOOK CHOICE: Killing Floor by Lee Child LUXURY ITEM: A mechanical wind-up watch CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: So What - Miles Davis

Presenter: Lauren Laverne Producer: Paula McGinley