Kate Atkinson, MBE (Order of the British Empire), is a distinguished English writer born on December 20, 1951. Her career began with a resounding success as her debut novel, Behind the Scenes at the Museum, won the Whitbread Book of the Year Award. Atkinson has since established herself as a critically acclaimed international bestselling author.

She has penned a collection of short stories titled Not the End of the World, and several critically acclaimed novels including Human Croquet, Emotionally Weird, Case Histories, and One Good Turn. Her novel Case Histories introduced readers to Jackson Brodie, a former police inspector turned private investigator. This novel won the Saltire Book of the Year Award and the Prix Westminster. Her subsequent work, When Will There Be Good News?, was voted Richard & Judy Book Best Read of the Year. Following Case Histories and One Good Turn, it became her third novel to achieve significant acclaim.