Chris Cleave

"Our stories are the tellers of us."

Chris Cleave is 38. He lives in London with his wife and three children. His debut novel Incendiary won a 2006 Somerset Maugham Award, was shortlisted for the 2006 Commonwealth Writers Prize, and won the United States Book-of-the-Month Club’s First Fiction award 2005. His second novel is titled Little Bee in Canada and the US, where it is a New York Times #1 bestseller. It is titled The Other Hand in the UK, where it is a Sunday Times bestseller. It was shortlisted for the Costa Novel Awards. Read reviews here. Chris Cleave has been a barman, a long-distance sailor and teacher of marine navigation [read a short story I wrote about there here], an internet pioneer and a journalist.

What are Chris Cleave's best-known books?

His best-known novels include Incendiary, Little Bee (published in the UK as The Other Hand) and Gold.

What genre does Chris Cleave write in?

He writes novels generally classified as contemporary literary fiction.

Where should I start if I've never read him before?

Little Bee (The Other Hand) is a widely read entry point and was a New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller. Incendiary is another notable starting point, having won awards.

Are his books part of a series or standalone novels?

His books are standalone novels rather than part of a series.

Which awards and recognitions has he received?

Incendiary won the 2006 Somerset Maugham Award and the US Book-of-the-Month Club First Fiction award; it was also shortlisted for the 2006 Commonwealth Writers Prize. Little Bee/The Other Hand was a New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller and was shortlisted for the Costa Novel Awards.