Gavin McCrea’s first novel, Mrs Engels was shortlisted for the Desmond Elliot Prize and the Walter Scott Prize, and longlisted for the Guardian First Book Award. His second novel, The Sisters Mao, received high acclaim internationally. His first work of non-fiction, a memoir entitled Cells has been longlisted for the Polari Prize for LGBTQ+ Literature. Most recently, he has been commissioned by Hachette/John Murray to write a novel of ideas featuring Jean-Jacques Rousseau. His articles have appeared in The Paris Review, The Guardian, The Irish Times, The Dublin Review, Lithub and Catapult.