Mitchell Symons was born in 1957 in London and educated at Mill Hill School and the LSE, where he studied just enough law to get a Third. Since leaving BBC TV, where he was a researcher and then a director, he has worked as a writer, broadcaster and journalist. He was a principal writer of early editions of the board game Trivial Pursuit and has devised many television formats. Currently he writes an award-winning weekly column for the Sunday Express.

"'Mitch knows more totally useless things about useless subjects than anybody on Earth'" -- Chris Tarrant "...the wonderfully entitled How to Avoid Wombat's Bum ...As for why you want to avoid a wombat's bum...buy the book and find out." -- Kati Nicholl The Daily Express "...offers hours of fun for anyone over 10 who loves trivia." -- Nicolette Jones The Sunday Times "...there's the irresistably named How to Avoid Wombat's Bum by Mitchell Symons. This is a goldmine of facts to brighten up your life plus unexplained events...And why the title? Oh, there is a reason and you"ll have to buy the book to find out." -- Caroline Franklin Newbury Weekly News "...essential, interesting and also trivial facts..." Children's Bookseller