Tributes to author Paul Reizin after death, aged 67

Tributes have been paid to author Paul Reizin, who has passed away at the age of 67.

Reizin died last week following a short illness, his agency Aitken Alexander said.

Starting off in press and radio, Reizin eventually moved into TV, working in front of the camera and as a producer in factual entertainment programming before becoming a writer. 

He was the author of five novels and one work of non-fiction. Most recently, he found success with two novels written as P Z Reizin: Happiness for Humans, which was sold for translation into 26 languages, and Ask Me Anything. The books were published by Sphere in the UK and Grand Central in the US, and screen adaptations of both books are in development.

TV presenter Lorraine Kelly, a former colleague of Reizin's, led the tributes, describing him as “a lovely man. Funny and smart as a whip". BBC journalist Nick Owen

: "Terrible news. What a character he was—a good journalist and hugely entertaining colleague."

His agent Clare Alexander said: "Paul became my client and friend at the beginning of the millennium and our professional and personal relationship turned out to be a wild and crazy ride. 

“He started out writing 'lad lit' for Headline before moving to Transworld with first a rom-com and then a work of non-fiction about his many misadventures on the dating scene before finally finding 'the one' and having a baby. 'The one' was his wife Ruth and she and Rachel, his beloved daughter, were able to be with him at home until the end. 

“His most recent incarnation as an author was as P Z Reizin, writing two clever, funny, big-hearted novels that were immediately snapped up for film and TV. I look forward to the day when one or both make it to the screen and the books become the international bestsellers they deserve to be. I will miss Paul very much indeed.”