Born on the Isle of Wight in 1962, Patrick Gale spent his infancy at Wandsworth Prison, where his father was Governer, then grew up in Winchester. He now lives on a farm near Land’s End. He published his first novel, THE AERODYNAMICS OF PORK, at the age of twenty-one and has now published nine highly acclaimed novels, among them LITTLE BITS OF BABY; KANSAS IN AUGUST; THE FACTS OF LIFE; and TREE SURGERY FOR BEGINNERS. As well as writing and reviewing fiction, he has published a biography of Armistead Maupin, a short history of the Dorchester Hotel and chapters on Mozart’s piano and mechanical music for H C Robbins Landon’s THE MOZART COMPENDIUM. His hobbies are singing and gardening. ROUGH MUSIC (Flamingo), was published to outstanding reviews in 2000. A SWEET OBSCURITY was published in the spring of 2003. FRIENDLY FIRE, was published in April 2005. NOTES FROM AN EXHIBITION was selected as one of Richard & Judy's Book Club picks for 2008. Patrick's most recent novel is THE WHOLE DAY THROUGH. A collection of stories, GENTLEMAN'S RELISH, was published in the spring of 2010.

Author photo: Aldo Sperber

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A PERFECTLY GOOD MAN - "Do you need me to pray for you now for a specific reason?” “I’m going to die.” “We’re all going to die. Does dying frighten you?” “I mean...
A SWEET OBSCURITY - A SWEET OBSCURITY is a moving tale with a tragic young girl at its heart. Dido, the nine-year-old heroine and emotional centre of Patrick Gale’s latest novel, knows that the adults who surround...
FRIENDLY FIRE - As a foundling who has spent all her life in institutions, Sophie is well-trained to survive life as a scholar in an ancient boarding school. No amount of homework, however, can prepare her for...
GENTLEMAN'S RELISH - Wry and perceptive, GENTLEMAN’S RELISH is a new collection of short stories written by Patrick Gale over the last ten years. The title piece observes the awkward dance of a father around his enigmatic...
NOTES FROM AN EXHIBITION - When Rachel Kelly dies suddenly of a heart attack, the Kelly family come together to mourn her, to look after one another, and to remember the past – both shared and private. As a painter,...
ROUGH MUSIC - In 1968 a prison governor is recalled from a Cornish holiday when one of his lifers escapes and robs a train. Left behind in an atmospheric seaside house, his wife falls in love with her...
THE WHOLE DAY THROUGH - When forty-something Laura Lewis is obliged to abandon a life of stylish independence in Paris to care for her elderly mother in Winchester, it seems all romantic opportunities have gone up in smoke....