Alasdair Gray is a prolific and well respected author, playwright and artist whose works have included 'Lanark', arguably one of the best Scottish novels of our time; 'Unlikely Stories Mostly' (1983) and 'Poor Things' (1992) which won the Whitbread Book of the Year Award. Alasdair Gray was born and brought up in Glasgow, where he still lives. His experiences there, as an art teacher, muralist and theatrical scene painter, provided material for the autobiographical elements in his novels. He designs his own books, from their bold dustjackets to their decorative covers, to their illustration and typography.