William Palmer was born in 1945 and attended schools in England and Wales. After a bewildering variety of jobs he became a full-time writer in 1988. His published books include the novels The Good Republic, Leporello, The Contract, The Pardon of Saint Anne, and The India House; a collection of short stories, Four Last Things, and two collections of poems, The Island Rescue and An Instruction from Madame S. He has just completed Under the Influence, a study of alcohol and its effect on writers’ lives and work. His work has appeared in many journals and been broadcast. He reviews regularly for The Independent and Literary Review.