As you guys probably already know there’s another travel writer out there with the same surname as me. His name is Tim. He writes humorous travel books too. Indeed, his publishers, Vintage, even go as far as calling him ‘the next Bill Bryson.’
I’m sure over the years people have bought my books thinking they are his. And maybe, just maybe, some people have bought his thinking they were mine. And it’s not just book buyers. I visited a book store in London promoting Vroom and the manager congratulated me on my Monopoly book.
It has never really bothered me. Tim’s written about five books too so together we take up a fair bit of shelf real estate in book stores. And I’ve always suspected that the confusion has benefited me more than Tim.
Like today for example. There is an article about travel writing in the Guardian where I get name-checked in quite a complimentary manner. Trouble is, the books that get mentioned – French Revolutions and Spanish Steps – are both Tim’s.
He’s probably sending off an angry missive as we speak.
This is where you'll find everything you need to know about me and my books.
I wonder if maybe a zealous copyeditor “fixed” the error of the author putting in the “wrong” name, based on a vague memor or a quick web search. It seems odd that the author of the piece would get the titles right and the name so wrong.
On the bright side, there’s no danger of me getting confused with any other Javinses.
I’d noticed the similarity in the style of both author’s covers too – they are somewhat alike !
Don’t worry Peter, we know which Moore we want more of !!
Alex
hey
david bowie changed his name because of another david jones….
Hey Peter, what will your reaction be the day someone is descibed as the “next Peter Moore”?
Have you ever bumped into the ‘other’ travel-writing Mr Moore, Peter?
Hey Paul – I guess I’ll feel as though I’ve made it. People rarely get compared to someone really bad.
And Nick, never met Tim Moore. I went to an event for authors put on by Hatchards bookstore in London and thought he might be there. But they told me that they didn’t invite him. Maybe someone has told him I think he looks like Jonathon Woodgate!
Hm, maybe I can be the “next Peter Moore.”
damn, Marie…I was gonna say that!
Good news … his books are easy to find secondhand, yours arent … this led me to presume that your books are books that people want to keep while his are easy to give up
Either that or he’s sold a WHOLE LOT of books.
Sadly I think Marie’s theory is the right one!
Piffle … I’ve had different nationalities read your books … the overview confirms all we know … that you’re good. You don’t find GOOD books back on the shelves in secondhand bookshops … being something of an expert in the fine art of secondhand bookshops.
What second-hand bookshops do you go to then, Di?
Speaking of 2nd hand bookshops, I’m currently reading a bloody fantastic book that I picked up 2nd hand. It’s called Blue Highways by William Least Heat-Moon. Have you heard of it Peter or anyone else? It was written in 1980, so don’t worry, you won’t lose any sales by my recommending it as it’s long out of print! The author travels around the US in his converted van by taking secondary roads (known as ‘blue highways’) and avoiding major towns and cities. It’s totally absorbing, and I’m only about a quarter of the way through. Great photos of the characters he meets on the way too. Funny thing is, I bought it on February 17 and starting reading it the same day and this is the date when he decides to undertake his journey. What are the chances of that? About one in 365, I suppose.
Seondhand bookshops well … in New Zealand there’s this fantastic one called Scribes down on the one way system near the University, and the Otago University bookshop upstairs has all this ‘end of line’ stuff … magic.
In Turkey I had to make do with Robinson Crusoe in Taksim … all new stuff, superb in content, only bowing to the fact that I had trouble locating secondhand books in english there … although the Ortakoy Market, otherwise known as the Intellectuals Market, on the edge of the Bosphorous under the first European/Asian bridge often had one or two books of interest.
Here in Antwerpen, it’s de Slegte’s near Ruben’s House, and ‘t Boekenkwartier at Klapdorp 77. ‘Being something of an expert’ was said very mockingly just btw.
Hey Pete, funnily enough I started reading your books after I had read some of Tim’s and I confused yours with his….
The husband of one of my staff is really good friends with Tim and reassures me he is a really nice bloke, they worked together at Teletext many years ago and spent most of the time to quote him, ‘arsing about’. This confusion also caused problems when I told her that Tim had gone off round South America with the ‘girl next door’, tshe even phoned up Tim’s wife to commiserate and was surprised when she didn’t know anything about it.
I think the world of travel writing is big enough for both of you to co-exist without needing a name change, perhaps there is even the chance of a joint venture.
It could be worse, Peter. As a teacher, I’m usually referred to by my surname only. Unfortunately I share this with two pop stars (neither of whom are related to me, thank God). If I had a pound for every time a kid has asked me whether I’m related to Paul Young, or even if (horror or horrors) I am in fact Paul Young, I would pretty soon have saved up enough to go travelling again…
Thankfully I have never taught in a school where another teacher has the same name as me – that would be too much!
I enjoy reading both your’s and Tim’s books but I think you’re both quite different. I find most of Tim’s books extremely humorous. Continental Drifter, French Revolutions and Spanish Steps are all very jovial (the Monopoly book is rubbish though IMHO!).
On the other hand, I find your books more informative, Tim and often find myself smiling wryly rather than laughing out loud. I think you are a true traveller who does an excellent job of publishing his experiences, a bit like Michael Palin I suppose, but on paper
Tim is more of a comedian.
I hope this is the image you are trying to portray, and for the record I’ve enjoyed every one of your books so far. I think The Wrong Way Home is my favourite for sheer adventure value. Keep up the good work, can’t wait for the next one.
Hi guys,
Thanks for your comments on this one. I actually think it’s a good thing that Tim is on the scene too. Like I said before, we get quite a bit of shelf space between us. And Chris, I’m glad to hear that he’s a nice guy. I’d hate to be mixed up with an arse!
And Gray, thanks for your point. I’m glad I’m more of a wry smile guy. I don’t go out of my way to be a comedian. But as you all know, funny stuff happens when you travel. I guess what I hope for is that someone will read one of my books and immediately want to grab their bag and hit the road. I want to get across all the great stuff about travelling.
The thing is not everything that happens is funny. I’m just finishing my book about going around Australia and the hardest thing about writing it has been dealing with the whole Aboriginal thing. I saw some really horrific stuff, some sad stuff, some annoying things and some really uplifting things. Hopefully I’ve got the tone right to get all the aspects of the ‘situation’ across.
Re: sheer adventure. yep, WWH sure had that. I’m kind of itching for a similar kind of trip now. Not because I have a death wish. But because in a bizarre way it reconfirms my faith in human nature.
Hi Pete
I’ve read both yours and Tim’s books and although Tim is a brilliant writer, I must say I enjoy reading your books more!
Hey Peter,
Just wanted to say I could easily recognise your books, I mean the one about president Bush was hilarious and informative.
Seriously I find your books very funny. I think I drove my wife mad reading bits out of both The Wrong Way Home and Vroom.
As for Tim Moore..well he is ok.
Hey espedair – funnily enough, I’ve never been mistaken for Michael Moore! Which is a shame. I’d really like the accounts department of his publishers to send me one of his royalty cheques by mistake!
Yeah but this of how worthy you’d have to sound all the time.
Still a pot full of cash will work wonders on that.
I’m off to get my name changed now….
I’ve read far more books by Peter than Tim, but I thought ‘Do Not Pass Go’ (the Monopoly book) was a freaking great read.
Peter, is reading other travel books a double-edged sword? It must be inspiring but frustrating at the same time.
“I guess what I hope for is that someone will read one of my books and immediately want to grab their bag and hit the road.”
This happens to me everytime I read one of your books. Unfortunately work usually gets in the way. The first of your books I read, The Full Montezuma, was instrumental in convincing me I had to visit Cuba. I went, loved it and have been back to Latin America virtually every year since then. So you can consider yourself partly responsible for me visiting Cuba, Mexico, Guatemala, Brazil, Argentina and Peru and having a whale of a time.
Similarly, The Wrong Way Home, as well as the autobiographical accounts from John Simpson from the BBC, have convinced me that one day I will have to visit Iran and in particular Esfahan.