Ian was born and raised in London, England, and has spent most of his life living and working in the city.

 

He has long been a keen observer of London life. This has found expression during his career as a TV producer (Death of a Runaway, No Home For Barry, Dilly Downtown), as the author of the non-fiction book Guide to Ethnic London, the writer of the play Enigma, and the author of The London Stories collection of short stories.

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During his TV career, he also scripted material for presenters Chris Evans and Paula Yates on TV's The Big Breakfast, and for the Channel Four series True or False.