Bill Kirton was a university lecturer in French before taking early retirement to become a full-time writer. He's won two 2011 Forward National Literature Awards - 'The Sparrow Conundrum' was the overall winner of the Humor category and 'The Darkness' was runner up in the Mystery category. His historical mystery, 'The Figurehead', was long-listed for the 2012 Rubery Book Awards. His radio plays have been broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and 4 and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. His stage plays have been performed in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and the USA and he's been visiting artist at the Theater Department of the University of Rhode Island on four separate occasions. Material from his Edinburgh Festival revues was broadcast on the BBC, ITV and French television. He's also been a TV presenter, voice-over artist and a Royal Literary Fund Writing Fellow at the Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, and the universities of Dundee and St Andrews. His published novels are set in the north east of Scotland. 'Material Evidence', 'Rough Justice', the award-winning 'The Darkness', 'Shadow Selves' and 'Unsafe Acts' all feature DCI Jack Carston. 'The Figurehead' is a historical novel set in Aberdeen in 1840. The award-winning 'The Sparrow Conundrum', is a spoof spy/crime novel also set in Scotland and his novella, 'Alternative Dimension' is a satirical fantasy about online role-playing. He has also written a novel for children, 'The Loch Ewe Mystery'. His short stories have appeared in the Crime Writers' Association annual anthology in 1999, 2005 and 2006. Another was chosen as one of the 'Best British Crime Stories, Vol. 7', a 2010 anthology edited by Maxim Jacubowski. His non-fiction output includes 'Just Write', co-written with Kathleen McMillan, 'Brilliant Study Skills', 'Brilliant Essay', 'Brilliant Dissertation', 'Brilliant Workplace Skills' and 'Brilliant Academic Writing'.