Philip Hoare is the author of nine works of nonfiction, including biographies of Stephen Tennant and Noël Coward, and the studies, Wilde's Last Stand and England's Lost Eden. Spike Island was chosen by W.G. Sebald as his book of the year for 2001. In 2009, Leviathan or, The Whale won the 2009 BBC Samuel Johnson Prize for non-fiction. It was followed in 2013 by The Sea Inside, and in 2017 by RISINGTIDEFALLINGSTAR. His new book, Albert & the Whale led the New York Times to call the author a 'forceful weather system' of his own, was 'Art Book' of 2021 for The Observer and the Sunday Times, and shortlisted for the Folio Prize and PEN biography prize. Philip is Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Southampton, and co-curator, with Angela Cockayne, of the podcasts www.mobydickbigread.com and www.ancientmarinerbigread.com which have received 10 million hits to date.