Simon Gray - Playwright and Diarist

I enjoyed all three volumes of Simon Gray's The Smoking Diaries, especially the last one, The Last Cigarette, and was sorry to read yesterday of his death at the age of 71. 

Gray's diaries were almost in the category of confessions, in that he wrote totally frankly of his failings and was honest about his innermost thoughts, refusing to put a gloss on them to make himself seem a more appealing person.  When reading them I always felt inspired to try to be more honest about my own failings, as though finding permission to put my social guard down and be more real with myself and other people. 

I suppose we can never be sure how accurate other people's diaries are, but I found that Gray's had an air of integrity.  The picture Gray drew of himself, sitting in a bar with a cigarette and an A4 pad, writing his account of the world was somehow convincing.  He always gave the impression of someone who had nothing to lose by candour, so why bother giving a false impression?

Sadly, his smoking habit seems to have got the better of him, and certainly there was no better incentive to give up smoking than to read The Smoking Diaries. I am sorry that no more volumes will be published because for me at least, each one was anticipated with pleasure.