DICK’S NO SCHOLAR

Dick and Felix, who spent 17 years in the classroom, now write novels together after Dick came out of retirement in 2006 and Felix gave up teaching – a career change his 88-year-old dad prefers.

“I always let Felix and his brother Merrick do what they wanted, as long as I approved,” Dick tells Heyday magazine.

“That said, when Felix told me he wanted to be a teacher, I told him he couldn’t because ‘teachers are the scum of the earth’ – I didn’t enjoy school very much! Of course, secretly I was extremely proud.”