Geoff Ryman is a Canadian living in London. He has published eight novels, a volume of short fiction and co-edited a collection of Canadian fiction. His novels and short stories have won twelve awards. His first novelette on Cambodian themes was published in 1985. `The King's Last Song'was inspired by a visit in 2001 to an archaeological dig at Angkor Wat. Geoff is a frequent visitor to Cambodia and has twice visited the country to run workshops in creative writing. His other fiction includes `Was', an historical novel about the American West in the 19th and 20th centuries, and `253' about passengers on the London underground.