Gordon Burn was born in Newcastle in 1948 and now lives in London. He is the author of the novels Alma Cogan (winner of the 1992 Whitbread First Novel Prize), Fullalove and The North of England Home Service (published in Spring 2003). He is also the author of the works of non-fiction, Somebody's Husband, Somebody's Son (winner of a US Edgar Allan Poe award), Pocket Money and Happy Like Murderers. He wrote the text for Damien Hirst's book, I want to spend the rest of my life everywhere, with everyone, one to one, always, forever, now (1997), before their collaboration On the Way to Work (2001). In 1991 he was named columnist of the year in the Magazine Publishing Awards for his sports column in Esquire.