Pete Shaw

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Pete Shaw

Pete Shaw in 2003
Born: December 02, 1966 (age 40)
Flag of United Kingdom Isleworth, London
Occupation: journalist, technical writer
Nationality: British
Writing period: 1982—
Subjects: Computing & Theatre
Debut works: Games for your ZX Spectrum (1982)
Influences: Tim Hartnell

Pete Shaw (born 2 December 1966 in Isleworth, London) is a British author, broadcaster, programmer and theatrical producer.

Contents

[edit] Early life

Shaw attended school in Stanwell, Middlesex. It was while at Stanwell Secondary School that he was introduced by a school friend to Tim Hartnell, the co-owner of Interface Publication, the other owner being his school friend's mother, Sue North.

His first published computer programme was The Elephant's Graveyard, written for the Sinclair ZX81 and published in the magazine ZX Computing in August 1982.[1]

[edit] Career

Shaw's first book, Games for your ZX Spectrum,[2] followed at the end of 1982 and was published by Virgin Books in conjunction with Interface Publications an was an early title in a series of Games For Your... books published by Virgin. Shaw himself wrote three more books for the series, including Games for your Oric,[3] More Games for your Oric and Games for your Sinclair QL.[4] Shaw also co-wrote two books designed to teach the adventure game genre, Creating Adventures on your ZX Spectrum (Interface Publications, 1983)[5] and Creating Adventure on your BBC Micro (Interface Publications, 1985).

Shaw's books mainly comprised Type-In programme listings for home computers, which were designed to teach-as-you-type,[6] since the programmes contained many comments on how the listing worked.

Your Sinclair Issue 1, January 1986
Your Sinclair Issue 1, January 1986

Before he even left school, Shaw was a regular contributor to ZX Computing and Home Computer Weekly, and on leaving Stanwell Secondary School he turned down a sought after place at Isleworth Art College to work full-time for the newly-launched computer magazine Your Spectrum.

It was at Your Spectrum (which later was relaunched as Your Sinclair[7]) that Shaw picked up the nickname Troubleshootin' Pete due to his regular column in the magazine in which he would answer reader questions that had been posed over the YS Helpline. Shaw's official title at Your Sinclair was Editorial Assistant when he first joined, but he was promoted to Deputy Editor within a year of joining the staff.

Your Sinclair was published by Dennis Publishing, and Shaw also contributed to other Dennis magazines including Your 64, Computer Shopper and MacUser.

While still Deputy Editor of Your Sinclair, Shaw also contributed to a weekly Capital Radio childrens show called XYZ On Air, broadcast every Sunday and hosted by DJ Kelly Temple. The show was an eclectic mix of music, interviews, features and the 'Computerworld' slot hosted by Pete Shaw. It was Shaw's association with Capital Radio that brought about, The Capital Radio Book of Computers and Simple Programming (NeatQuest, 1985),[8] co-written with Kelly Temple and Your Spectrum's original Editor, Roger Munford.

Before 1985 was out, Shaw had written at least eleven computer technical books, published around the world and in several languages.

Shaw's first book, Games for your ZX Spectrum
Shaw's first book, Games for your ZX Spectrum

[edit] Bibliography

  • 1Games for your ZX Spectrum (Virgin Books, 1982) ISBN 0-907080-84-7[9]
    • Re-released as Spiele für Ihren ZX Spectrum (Huber, Germany), Spelletjes voor Je ZX Spectrum deel 1 (Netherlands), Games for your Timex-Sinclair 2000 (Dell, USA) ISBN 0-4404527-94-5
  • Games for your Oric (Virgin Books, 1983) ISBN 0-907080-91-X
  • Getting Started on your Oric (Futura Publishing, 1983) ISBN 0-7088244-71
  • Creating Adevntures on the ZX Spectrum (Interface Publications, 1983) ISBN 0-907563-58-9
    • Re-released as Fantastische Avonturen voor je ZX Spectrum deel 1 (Netherlands), Novas Aventuras no Seu ZX Spectrum (Editorial Presenca, Portugal)
  • More Games for your Oric (Virgin Books, 1984) ISBN 0-863690-34-3
  • Games for your Sinclair QL (Virgin Books, 1984) ISBN 0-86369-078-5
  • More Games for your Sinclair QL (Virgin Books, 1984)[10]
  • Games QL Computers Play (Corgi Books, 1985)[11]
  • Creating Adevntures on your BBC Micro (Interface Publications, 1985) ISBN 0-907563-64-3
  • Fantastic Adventures for your ZX Spectrum (Interface Publications, 1985)
  • The Capital Radio Book of Computers and Computer Programming (NeatQuest, 1985) ISBN 0-947695-26-5
  • The V-Book: The Complete Guide to Flying with Virgin Atlantic (V-Flyer, 2004)

[edit] Since 2002

Blondel revival in 2006
Blondel revival in 2006

In 2002 Shaw produced Patrick Wilde's play You Couldn't Make It Up at the Gilded Balloon in Edinburgh. The show was Wilde's follow up to What's Wrong With Angry?, which had debuted a decade earlier at the Lost Theatre in London.[12] You Couldn't Make It Up was a black comedy dealing with issues of sexuality, the agendas of TV and film production and male rape. The year after its premiere in Edinburgh, Shaw brought the show down to the New End Theatre, Hampstead, London in 2003.[13]

In 2006 Shaw colaborated with Sir Tim Rice to produce his musical Blondel at the Pleasance Theatre in Islington.[14] Blondel was the first musical Rice wrote outside of his successful working partnership with Andrew Lloyd Webber. Telling the tale of medieval ministrel, Blondel, the musical is set in two acts. Shaw also created the poster artwork for revival of Blondel.

Shaw is currently Editor of the Internet publication Broadway Baby [1], a reviews-based website particularly focused on fringe theatre. He also edits the Virgin Atlantic customer site, V-Flyer.com [2], which regulary recieves over 150,000 readers per month.[15]

He continues to write computer programmes on a freelance basis.

[edit] References

  1. ^ The Type In Fantastic, Jim Grimwood. URL last accessed on 2007-03-22.
  2. ^ YS Paperdata, Phil Cornes and Mike Turner. URL last accessed on 2007-03-22.
  3. ^ Concurrent Affairs, John Torofex. URL last accessed on 2007-03-22.
  4. ^ Sinclair User, QL News. URL last accessed on 2007-03-22.
  5. ^ Micro Adventure, John Fraser. URL last accessed on 2007-03-22.
  6. ^ My First Programming Book, Alberto Garcia. URL last accessed on 2007-03-22.
  7. ^ Your Spectrum Unofficial Archive, Jim Grimwood. URL last accessed on 2007-03-22.
  8. ^ YS Frontlines, Your Spectrum. URL last accessed on 2007-03-22.
  9. ^ World of Spectrum, worldofspectrum.org. URL last accessed on 2007-03-20.
  10. ^ World of Spectrum, worldofspectrum.org. URL last accessed on 2007-03-20.
  11. ^ World of Spectrum, worldofspectrum.org. URL last accessed on 2007-03-20.
  12. ^ Wild Justice, wildjustice.org. URL last accessed on 2007-03-20.
  13. ^ Indie London, Paul Nelson. URL last accessed on 2007-03-22.
  14. ^ Tim Rice's Blondel - Abi Finley and Chris Grierson prepare for curtain up, Jill Hallworth-Smith. URL last accessed on 2007-03-19.
  15. ^ V-Flyer Stats, v-flyer.com. URL last accessed on 2007-03-19.

[edit] External links

Persondata
NAME Shaw, Pete
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION British author, broadcaster, programmer and theatrical producer
DATE OF BIRTH 2 December 1966
PLACE OF BIRTH Isleworth, London, United Kingdom
DATE OF DEATH living
PLACE OF DEATH
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