PHILIP HOARE’s books include biographies of Stephen Tennant and Noël Coward, and the historical studies, Wilde’s Last Stand, England’s Lost Eden, and Spike Island, which was chosen by W.G. Sebald as his book of the year. Leviathan or, The Whale won the 2009 BBC Samuel Johnson Prize, and was followed by The Sea Inside and RISINGTIDEFALLINGSTAR. His new book, Albert & the Whale, about the artist Albrecht Dürer, was shortlisted for the Folio Prize and PEN biography prize. Philip is professor of creative writing at the University of Southampton, and co-curator of the highly successful literary podcasts, mobydickbigread.com and ancientmarinerbigread.com, and he swims every day in the sea.
