Philip Salom lives in North Melbourne, Australia. His highly acclaimed novels Waiting, The Returns and The Fifth Season have been listed for awards including the Miles Franklin Literary Award in 2017, 2020 and 2021. His earlier novel Toccata and Rain was shortlisted for the ALS Gold Medal and the WA Premiers Prize for Fiction, and Playback won the WA Premiers Prize for Fiction. His poetry books have twice won: The Commonwealth Poetry Book Prize in London and the Western Australia Premiers Prize for Poetry. In 2003 Philip was recognised with the Christopher Brennan Prize which is Australia’s most prestigious lifetime award for poets – for ‘poetry of sustained quality and distinction’.