I am active on Facebook, as Simon Piers Aiken. You will often see my newest shells featured in various Facebook groups.

I attend the Theydon Bois (London) shell show on the final April and final October of each year. Due to Brexit it is no longer practical for me to sell shells at the Paris and Antwerpen shows, although I do sometimes attend.

Absolutely, and this is the perfect way for you to choose shells. If you are visiting northern England please contact me in advance. All shells are properly curated, labelled, priced, and ready for viewing.

Sometimes. All shells must have complete locality data. For instance, I do not regard “Philippines” as locality data since the Philippines comprises 7600 different islands. Contact me if you have a collection to sell.

Occasionally, but only to obtain shells that fill ‘gaps’ in my stock.

I have to admit that I don’t find it easy learning languages. Apart from English, I can “get by” in French. I use Google Translate extensively, so if I’m communicating with you in neither English nor French you can assume that I’m using Google Translate. You are welcome to write to me in your own language and I’ll do my best to reply. Always keep in mind that automated translators have limitations, and meanings can get changed.

My adult interest was spurred by my volunteer work at the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science (formerly the Delaware Museum of Natural History), starting in 1994. At that time I was using conotoxins in my medical research – a convenient confluence of activities.

I never offer shells on auction websites, either under my own name or pseudonyms. Sometimes I work with actual auction houses, either as a consultant or as a photographer, but only for “real world” auctions.

Numerous molluscan species with the name ‘aikeni’ are named after Roy Aiken of South Africa, or his father Don Aiken. Currently there are 7 species named after me:

Cingulina aikeni Poppe, Tagaro & Goto, 2018

Novatrivia aikeni Fehse, 2019

Kanamarua aikeni Fraussen & D. Monsecour, 2019

Rolleia simonaikeni Watters, M. Smith & Sneddon, 2020

Terebra aikeni Terryn & Welsh, 2020

Asperosculptura aikeni Ardovini, Poppe & Tagaro, 2021

Tudivasum simonaikeni Cossignani, 2024

There is also a species named after my mother: Parachondria heatheraikenae Watters, 2016.

Shells have been my sole employment since 2005. Although I do earn money as a writer, I write exclusively about shells.

It’s a bit of a cliché that malacologists are either ‘lumpers’ or ‘splitters’. Lumpers see small differences between shells and regard the differences as natural variation within a species. Splitters see the same differences but interpret them as characteristics that divide a group of individuals into more than one species or subspecies. Although shell dealers are traditionally splitters – forever splitting a taxon into multiple taxa – I align myself with the lumpers. I take a conservative approach to labelling similar shells under different names.

No. My interest in insects, spiders and other mini-beasts is strictly amateur. I don't buy or sell them, neither dead nor alive.