Adam Thirlwell was born in London in 1978. He has published two novels, Politics and The Escape, both of which are published in German by S Fischer: Strategie (2004) and Flüchtig (2010). His essay on the international art of the novel, Miss Herbert, which won a Somerset Maugham Award, will be published by Fischer next year. His work has been translated into 30 languages. In 2003 he was placed on Granta magazine’s list of the Best Young British Novelists.