Photo by Manda Comisari. Barcelona, ES. 04.24
Who is Simon?
Simon Nagel has lived in Los Angeles, London, Edinburgh, and Ventura, CA. During his traipsing across the globe, he has received Celtic blessings, encountered ghosts (both hostile and friendly), driven the extraterrestrial highway along Area 51, completed two international moves within the span of the Covid-19 pandemic, built a house whilst living inside it unfinished (aka living outside), spent a good deal of time abroad with exactly $0 in his bank account, played on a losing basketball team, explored the Parisian catacombs, swum with sharks, witnessed an ode to a haggis balloon, been stalked by London cats on Walpurgis Night, found himself in bi- and tri-lingual situations without speaking any of the involved languages, and surfed some very large waves.
Throughout that time, he also managed to write many film and television scripts, publish short stories, become a passable poet, write a book, write another book, perform a one-man play, and create the world’s first choose-your-own-adventure martial arts saga.
Simon loves stories because they are the best things in life to share, and the world will never run out of them. He favors big emotions, unforgettable characters, and playing with ways to marry humor and gravity. His greatest fear is sharing about himself, so thank you, Reader, for being an unwitting participant in this moment of healing.
Simon lives somewhere on the planet, possibly close to you right now.
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My work is inspired by a life lived in many places, from my roots in California to long stints abroad. My stories often spring from random occurrences or bursts of playfulness while roaming somewhere new. I’m intrigued by interstitial moments between one point to the next: the thoughts we might have when we board a train or at the moment when street lights turn on while daylight still lingers.
A lot of my work focuses on themes of redemption, from finding one’s place in the world to overcoming fears, be they deeply human or painfully absurd. Sometimes these stories stay intimate; often they open toward the cosmic. I’m always playing with ways to marry humor and gravity, since life isn’t always that clear cut. The funniest things we’ve ever said can come up during our heaviest arguments, and moments of unshakeable fear can make space for feelings of extreme love and gratitude.
We can’t label all of this stuff as it happens. In fact, quite a bit of it is undefinable. What interests me most as a writer is tracing those moments and allowing us to stay in them just a little while longer. I believe they are—indirectly—the glue that holds our memories together.
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AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE
Los Angeles, CA
MFA Screenwriting, 2012
Hollywood Foreign Press Association ScholarshipBROOKS INSTITUTE
Santa Barbara, CA
BA Film & Video Production, 2007 -
WINNER - BLACKLIST UNPUBLISHED NOVEL AWARD (SCI-FI & FANTASY)
Gates to Nowhere, December 2025WINNER - LITOPIA POP UP SUBMISSIONS LIVE!
Gates to Nowhere, July 2022
STORYFUTURES ACADEMY
Immersive Games Lab, 2020SCRIPTD STAFF PICK
Friendly Skies, May 2016HASTY PUDDING INSTITUTE SCREENWRITING FELLOWSHIP
Inaugural Recipient, 2014BLACKLIST LAB SELECTION
The Wind at Spanish Needle, 2014MOTION PICTURE ACADEMY NICHOLL FELLOWSHIP
The Wind at Spanish Needle, Semi-finalist 2012, 2014MOTION PICTURE ACADEMY NICHOLL FELLOWSHIP
Baja ‘62, Semi-finalist 2013