Pin Drop

Simon Oldfield, is an art advisor, curator and lawyer, and co-founded Pin Drop with Elizabeth Day.

He realises ambitious projects spanning two decades, establishing a reputation for nurturing talent and presenting a critically acclaimed international arts, culture and entertainment programme. Simon works across multiple disciplines and oversees all aspects of Pin Drop, bringing together important and influential artists, writers, actors and creatives, often working in collaboration with major institutions and iconic brands including the Royal Academy of Arts, Tate, The Old Vic and BAFTA.

In 2018, Simon edited A Short Affair, a Pin Drop anthology of original short fiction by bestselling authors accompanied by artworks from the Royal Academy Schools’ artists.  Published by Scribner (Simon & Schuster) in collaboration with the Royal Academy of Arts, A Short Affair has received critical acclaim and was released in paperback in 2020.  In 2019, Simon oversaw a UK tour for A Short Affair in partnership with Tate Liverpool, Turner Contemporary Margate, The New Art Gallery Walsall and Pallant House Gallery.  The tour was supported by Arts Council England.

Simon produces and directs Pin Drop Live in London, New York and Los Angeles and in 2014 Simon introduced Pin Drop Studio’s hugely successful programme of live literature events to the Royal Academy of Arts.  In collaboration with Tim Marlow, Simon curates a programme that sees leading authors and actors give dramatic readings of short fiction written or selected in response to the RA’s exhibition programme including Will Self, Sebastian Faulks, Ben Okri, Dame Eileen Atkins and Dame Sian Phillip, William Boyd, Graham Swift, Lionel Shriver and  Stephen Fry.

Simon has chaired and participated in panel discussions on art, literature and culture across the globe and conducted in-depth interviews with Pin Drop Luminaries including Prof. Richard Dawkins, Will Self, Russell Tovey, William Boyd and Sir Peter Blake. He produces and directs the Pin Drop Studio podcast series and other Pin Drop Sound & Vision content, and has featured in radio and podcasts including Monocle Radio 24, RTE and the BBC and has written for various publications including Monocle, Harper’s Bazaar and FT Weekend.

In 2015, Simon launched the Pin Drop Short Story Award in collaboration with the Royal Academy of Arts and he is a judge for The British Book Awards 2020.

Simon is founder of Simon Oldfield | Original Culture. and advises a number of important collections in Europe and America.

Simon is supported by an excellent team of people and represented by William Morris Endeavor.

Elizabeth Day is an award-winning author, journalist, podcaster, and co-founded Pin Drop Studio with Simon Oldfield. In 2017, her enormously successful fourth novel, The Party, was published by Fourth Estate and she is the host of the hugely successful podcast How To Fail With Elizabeth Day.

Elizabeth is a feature writer for UK and US publications including New York Magazine and Vogue. She is a contributing editor for Harper’s Bazaar and recent interviews include Claire Danes, Matt Damon and Kiera Knightly. She won a British Press Award in 2004 for Young Journalist of the Year and was Highly Commended in the category of Feature Writer of the Year 2013.

Her critically acclaimed debut novel Scissors Paper Stone won a Betty Trask Award for first novels written by authors under the age of 35. Her second novel Home Fires is also published by Bloomsbury and her 2013 short story Collisions was a top 5 Kindle Singles bestseller.

She has also written features for numerous other publications including Grazia, Elle, Marie Claire and Glamour. She is a regular contributor to the Sky News press preview and has appeared on Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour.

Elizabeth has been close friends with Simon Oldfield for many years, first working with him at a human rights and literacy NGO in South Africa.

Anita Lawlor works across all aspects of Pin Drop Studio’s multi-faceted activities including the live events programme, the annual RA & Pin Drop Short Story Award and our forthcoming anthology of original short fiction, A Short Affair, published by Simon & Schuster/Scribner in 2018.

Anita brings extensive experience to Pin Drop Studio from a background in museums, photography and production.

Francesca Oldfield is a respected photographer and filmmaker, who oversees production at Pin Drop Studio.

Francesca has worked with leading talent including Rihanna, David Beckham and major brands including National Geographic, the Royal Academy of Arts and Conde Nast.  Francesca’s work is also exhibited widely in the UK, Europe and America, most recently in #girlgaze at the Annenberg Space for Photography, Los Angeles.

Tim Julian is a senior entertainment executive and brings his extensive experience to Pin Drop Studio.

Previously, Tim was head of Research and Strategy at Walt Disney International. He subsequently founded London-based agencies, including Forever Strategy, advising global media and entertainment brands including the BBC, Paramount Pictures, Disney and Universal Studios.

Tim has been involved with Pin Drop Studio from the beginning, advising across a wide range of content, strategy and development.

Julia works across the programme, bringing her extensive experience to Pin Drop Studio.

Alongside her work for Pin Drop, Julia is Exhibitions Project Manager at the recently reopened Design Museum, London and Project Curator at COLLECT, the Crafts Council’s annual exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery.

Etienne de Villiers is the Chairman of Pin Drop Studio.

He is a prominent executive in global media and entertainment, bringing a wealth of experience and knowledge to Pin Drop Studio.  Etienne’s former roles include President of Walt Disney International and Chairman of BBC Worldwide.  He is also an active philanthropist, a former director of Marie Curie Cancer Care and the National Film and Television School Foundation, and most recently he has become involved with the Trussell Trust.  Etienne enjoys art, movies, television, sports, music and literature.