Martyn Bedford's previous novels, Acts of Revision, Exit, Orange & Red, The Houdini Girl and Black Cat, have been translated into twelve languages. He teaches creative writing at Manchester University and is a fiction critic for the Literary Review. He lives in West Yorkshire with his wife and two young daughters.

'Comparisons with Ian McEwan and Iain Banks are inevitable but also justified' Literary Review 'Bedford is a clever, provocative writer, delivering writing that is interesting, nervewracking, bold, unusual, stylish, never complacent and always intelligent' Mary Loudon, The Times 'This novel thrills, it breaks your heart. Above all, it makes you glad you learned to read' Yorkshire Evening Post '[A] promising look into a possible British tomorrow' Guardian