Cynan Jones’ (1975) stories are born from the rugged Welsh landscape of which he is a life-long native. Rejecting material wealth, Jones lives in a self-built cabin, has driven the same car for 14 years, and writes all his books using only pen and paper. This sparse simplicity is reflected in his superb writing style. Without any unnecessary words, punctuation or sentimentality he manages to create vivid fictional worlds. His five novels and short stories won critical acclaim and a number of prizes, including the BBC National Short Story Award. His debut novel The Long Dry earned him the Betty Trask Award and was recently published in Dutch translation.