Francis Spufford was born in 1964. He is the author of five celebrated books of non-fiction. The most recent, "Unapologetic," has been translated into three languages, while the one before, "Red Plenty," has been translated into nine. He has been longlisted or shortlisted for prizes in science writing, historical writing, political writing, theological writing, and writing that evokes the spirit of place. His first novel, "Golden Hill," was published in 2016 and won the Costa First Novel Award. In 2007, he was elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. He teaches creative writing at Goldsmiths College, University of London, and lives near Cambridge.

Spufford, a former Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year (1997), is the author of five highly praised books of non-fiction. His first book, "I May Be Some Time," won three literary prizes and helped create a small new academic field dedicated to the cultural history of Antarctica. The second, "The Child That Books Built," gave Neil Gaiman the peculiar feeling that there was now a book he didn't need to write. "Backroom Boys" was called "as nearly perfect as makes no difference" by the Daily Telegraph. "Red Plenty" has been translated into nine languages, including Polish, Russian, and Estonian. "Unapologetic" is richer in expletives than any previous work of religious advocacy and is currently shortlisted for the Michael Ramsey Prize for Theological Writing. He has also been shortlisted or longlisted for prizes in writing about science, history, politics, and the spirit of place. He teaches at Goldsmiths College and lives near Cambridge with his wife and younger daughter. In 2007, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.