. ▁After ▁a ▁brief ▁st int ▁at ▁Melbourne ▁Gram mar ▁School ▁in ▁Australia , ▁he ▁taught ▁at ▁Ton bridge ▁School ▁for ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁his ▁career ▁and ▁was ▁head ▁of ▁English ▁for ▁ 1 7 ▁years . ▁He ▁published ▁five ▁nov els ▁during ▁his ▁teaching ▁career ▁before ▁ret iring ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁to ▁concent rate ▁on ▁writing . ▁His ▁former ▁pup ils ▁at ▁Ton bridge ▁include ▁Sir ▁Anthony ▁S eld on , ▁novel ist ▁Vik ram ▁S eth , ▁poet ▁Christopher ▁Re id , ▁actor ▁Dan ▁Stevens ▁and ▁music ian ▁Kit ▁H esk eth - Har vey . ▁ ▁Personal ▁life ▁Smith ▁and ▁his ▁wife ▁Gill ian ▁have ▁a ▁daughter , ▁Beck y , ▁an ▁educational ▁consult ant , ▁and ▁a ▁son , ▁Ed , ▁who ▁is ▁the ▁England ▁National ▁Cr icket ▁Select or , ▁former ▁England ▁cr ick eter ▁and ▁published ▁author . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁shortly ▁after ▁being ▁diagn osed ▁with ▁cancer , ▁he ▁and ▁his ▁son ▁went ▁on ▁a ▁trip ▁to ▁India . ▁It ▁was ▁the ▁insp iration ▁for ▁his ▁book ▁The ▁Following ▁Game , ▁published ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 1 . ▁ ▁His ▁book ▁on ▁teaching , ▁The ▁Learning ▁Game , ▁has ▁been ▁widely ▁acc laimed ▁in ▁the ▁world ▁of ▁education . ▁ ▁His ▁first ▁novel , ▁Wil fred ▁and ▁E ile en , ▁was ▁adapted ▁for ▁BBC ▁television ▁into ▁a ▁four - part ▁serial . ▁ ▁His ▁first ▁radio ▁play , ▁The ▁World ▁Walk , ▁was ▁made ▁into ▁a