Roger Smith

Roger Smith was born in Johannesburg and now lives in Cape Town. His debut thriller, Mixed Blood (2009), was published in six countries and won the Deutscher Krimi Preis (German Crime Prize). His second book, Wake Up Dead (2010), was a 10 best pick of the Philadelphia Enquirer, Times (South Africa) and Krimiwelt (Germany) and was nominated for the German Krimi-Blitz Reader’s Award. Mixed Blood and Wake Up Dead were nominated for Spinetingler Magazine New Voice Awards in the U.S. and both books are in development as feature films.

His third novel is Dust Devils.

From Smith's Q &A with Kim Saulse at The Big Issue:

[TBI] Your debut Mixed Blood and Wake Up Dead are being adapted for the screen, with Samuel L Jackson starring in the film version of Mixed Blood. How do you feel about that?

[RS] It all happened in a couple of weeks. It was so disorientating for me, there’s no way of describing it. From me reading the book, to the person closest to me reading it and then Samuel L Jackson reading it — it was way crazy! It looks quite possible that they’ll be shooting in Cape Town. I’ve read the script of the second book and it is a very interesting interpretation.

[TBI] Do you have any anxiety about handing your work over to screenwriters?

[RS] As a screenwriter I’ve adapted other people’s books and I know that the demands of a book and script are different. Clearly the density of a book can never completely be transposed to a script for film. I think you are an idiot if...[read on]

Learn more about the book and author at Roger Smith's website.

Read about Roger Smith's top 10 crime novels.

The Page 69 Test: Mixed Blood.

The Page 69 Test: Wake Up Dead.

Writers Read: Roger Smith.

My Book, The Movie: Dust Devils.

--Marshal Zeringue