Jack Reacher author Lee Child has hailed Birmingham as the 'Silicon Valley of the 19th century' and said that being a Brummie is the secret to his success.
The best-selling author credited his 'down-and-dirty' childhood in Midlands with giving him the drive and knowledge that 'if I do the work properly, it's gonna work out'.
The 67-year-old - whose novels have sold more than 100 million copies - added the hard-working qualities of the people of the 'last of the industrial cities' had made art and commerce look like 'the same thing'.
