Joseph O’Connor was born in Dublin. He is the author of the novels Cowboys and Indians (Whitbread Prize shortlist), Desperadoes, The Salesman, Inishowen, Star of the Sea (France’s Prix Millepages, Italy’s Premio Acerbi, Irish Post Award for Fiction, New York Times Notable Book of the Year, Neilsen Bookscan Golden Book Award, American Library Association Award, Hennessy/ Sunday Tribune Hall of Fame Award, Prix Litteraire Zepter for European Novel of the Year), Redemption Falls and Ghost Light (Los Angeles Times Prize for Fiction shortlist, Dublin One City One Book novel 2011). He is the winner of the Irish PEN Award for Outstanding Contribution to Irish Literature, 2012. A collection of his short stories, Where Have You Been?, was published in October 2012.