Peter Ackroyd

Peter Ackroyd was born in London in 1949 and was educated at Cambridge and Yale universities. He was literary editor of the Spectator for some years and chief book reviewer for The Times.

His published works span a range of genres and feature several poetry titles including The Diversions of Purley and he has written several highly acclaimed novels including The Great Fire of London, The Last Testament of Oscar Wilde, (Winner of the Somerset Maugham Prize for 1984), Hawksmoor, (Winner of the Whitbread Award and Guardian Fiction Prize for 1985), Chatterton, First Light, English Music and The House of Doctor Dee.

His non-fiction work includes several highly acclaimed biographies including Ezra Pound and His World, T.S. Eliot: A Life (Winner of the Whitbread and the Heinemann Award for 1984), and a biography of Dickens, which was short-listed for the NCR Book Award for 1991. London: the Biography, is regarded by many as his masterwork to date. Many of his books are published by Penguin.

Voyages Through Time - an epic ten-part history of the world, marks Peter's first work for children and his first publication with Dorling Kindersley. A compelling blend of Peter's uniquely evocative storytelling and innovative, dramatic design is sure to make this series a modern classic. The first title in the series; The Beginning was shortlisted for the 2004 Junior Aventis Science Prize.

"Ackroyd is a writer who takes a single subject and widens it out by the depth of his investigation." The Independent