Chris West
Chris West (born 1954) is a British writer. He works in a range of genres: business, psychology, history and crime / general fiction. His four mysteries written in the 1990s were among the first crime novels to be set in the contemporary People's Republic of China. Biography. After studying economics and philosophy at the London School of Economics, West travelled in China, leading to his first book, "Journey to the Middle Kingdom" in 1991. Following that, he wrote the four crime novels featuring Wang Anzhuang, a mid-ranking detective in the Beijing "Xing Zhen Ke" (Criminal Investigation Department ) and his wife, Rosina Lin, a nurse at the Capital Hospital. In 2020, these were reissued with new titles and Wang's name changed to Bao Zheng (a reference to a hero of traditional Chinese detective stories from the Song Dynasty). On completing this series, West concentrated on co-authoring books aimed at entrepreneurs and small businesses, the first of which was "The Beermat Entrepreneur", co-authored with entrepreneur and speaker Mike Southon (Southon and West were both members of The Oxcentrics, an Oxford-based Dixieland jazz band, in which West played the drums.). This book was reissued in 2018  in an updated edition. As a solo author he wrote "Marketing on a Beermat" and a guide to good, clear writing, "Perfect Written English". He has recently written social history, using everyday objects as 'ways in' to the subject. "First Class, a History of Britain in 36 Postage Stamps" was published in 2012, and "A History of America in 36 Postage Stamps" followed in 2013. "Eurovision! A History of Modern Europe through the World's Greatest Song Contest" was published in Spring 2017 and an updated version issued in 2020. His first psychology book is "The Karpman Drama Triangle Explained . As a fiction writer he has published three novellas, two under the pseudonym Lytchett Maltravers. West is married with one daughter and lives in North Hertfordshire.