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.