​I'm Gary Dexter. I've published various books, both fiction and non-fiction. You can see reviews of them in the national press here, or look below to see more details. I am also the author, under the name Alex Quick, of the manual 102 Ways to Write a Novel. 

​gary dexter's ​books and reviews
​

The People's Favourite Poems
​(Old St, 2018)
A memoir about poetry reciting.
'Dexter knows the nation's tastes better than
anyone.'
DAILY TELEGRAPH

Natural Desire in Healthy Women
​(Old St, 2014), a novel about the birth control movement of the 1920s.
'Engaging and occasionally hilarious, equal parts social satire and jokes about fluids'
GUARDIAN

The Oxford Despoiler
 ​(Old St, 2009),
a Victorian detective mystery. Translated into French and German.
'Wonderfully accomplished ... The whole thing is a delight' SUNDAY TELEGRAPH 
'deliciously silly... crafted with historical precision' 
TIME OUT

---

All the Materials for a Midnight Feast
(Old St, July 2011), a novel about the peace movement of the 1980s.
​'A beautifully crafted work of fiction, graduating from a low-key opening into a real page-turner . . . One of the year's most impressive -- and affecting -- debuts'
SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

​102 Ways to Write a Novel
(Old St, 2012),
a manual for writers of fiction.
​'Spectacular for brainstorming and flipping through when inspiration seems to evade.' GOODREADS

​Why Not
​Catch-21?
(Frances Lincoln, 2003),
an exploration of the derivations of book titles.
'Dexter's gift is actually to shed light on the mysteries of literary creation'
GUARDIAN

​Poisoned
​Pens
(Frances Lincoln, 2003),
an exploration of the feuds of backbiting writers.
'Extremely entertaining - a potpourri of wit and invective.' 
DAILY MAIL

selected journalism

'Writers' Letters': a fortnightly cartoon strip in the Spectator, 2017-18
'Title Stories': a fortnightly cartoon strip in the Spectator, 2015-16
'Alternative Reading': a fortnightly column in the Spectator magazine 2005-2010, exploring the unknown writing careers of famous authors.
'Writers on Writers': a weekly column in the Guardian, 2005-2008: a compilation of backbiting quotes about writers, by fellow writers.