Fiona Mozley was born in Hackney but grew up in York and studied at Cambridge before moving to Buenos Aires for a year - without speaking any Spanish. After briefly working at a literary agency in London, she moved back to York to complete a PhD in medieval studies. She also has a weekend job at The Little Apple Bookshop in York. Elmet is her first novel and has been shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize.
An impressive slice of contemporary noir steeped in Yorkshire legend . . . Elmet possesses a rich and unfussy lyricism * Guardian * The scattered moments of raw talent are arresting * The Times * Ms Mozley writes with clarity and insight, and her descriptions of the natural world and human relationships are both specific and profound . . . Elmet is a quiet explosion of a book, exquisite and unforgettable. It is hard not to feel that at 29, Ms Mozley has only just begun * The Economist * A stunning debut . . . It may be the best thing about the Booker too despite its oddness, or perhaps because of it . . . Elmet is in so many ways a wonder to behold. It is also this year's David among the predictable Goliaths on the Booker list. How thrilling if David were to win against them * Evening Standard * A fantastic, taught, very strange novel * BBC Radio 4, Front Row * A brooding study of family and belonging * Daily Telegraph *