David Szalay is the author of four previous works of fiction: Spring , The Innocent , London and the South-East , for which he was awarded the Betty Trask and Geoffrey Faber Memorial prizes, and All That Man Is , for which he was awarded the Gordon Burn prize and Plimpton Prize for Fiction, and shortlisted for the Man Booker prize. Born in Canada, he grew up in London, and now lives in Budapest.