Son of a Scottish chemist, Jan Read developed a love of the movies from an early age. In 1946 he abandoned academia to follow his boyhood dreams, moving first to New York and then Hollywood, where he worked with Fritz Lang to learn the ropes as both a writer and producer. In the 1950s he returned to Britain, working mainly for Gainsborough Pictures. Since the mid-'60s he has made his living as an author of books on travel, food and, most notably, wine. His work also appears regularly in British, American and Spanish wine magazines.
