Tony Bianchi is a native of North Shields, Northumberland and was educated there and at the University of Wales, where he received a PhD for research on the work of Samuel Beckett. He is a Fellow of Yr Academi Gymreig (the Welsh Academy of Writers) and a former Fellow of the University of Wales. Until 2002, he headed the Literature Department of the Arts Council of Wales. He has published three novels in Welsh  ‒ Esgyrn Bach (Y Lolfa 2006; long-listed for Welsh Book of the Year 2007), Pryfeta (Y Lolfa; winner of the 2007 Daniel Owen Prize and short-listed for Welsh Book of the Year 2008) and Chwilio am Sebastian Pierce (Gomer 2009) ‒ and a volume of short stories, Cyffesion Geordie Oddi Cartref (Gomer 2010). His first English-language novel, Bumping, appeared from Alcemi in May 2010 and was long-listed for the Portico Prize. He has also won prizes for his poetry, published numerous critical discussions of Welsh literature in both languages, including a monograph on Richard Vaughan (University of Wales Press 1984), and edited the anthology of contemporary Welsh-language poetry, Blodeugerdd Barddas o Farddoniaeth Gyfoes (Barddas 2005). He lives in Cardiff and is a free-lance arts consultant, author, translator, editor, mentor and adviser to the Scottish Arts Council.