Gaynor Arnold was born in Wales, but now lives in Birmingham. Her 2008 debut novel Girl in a Blue Dress (based on the marriage of Charles Dickens) was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize, the Orange Prize and the Desmond Elliott Prize; and shortlisted for the McKitterick Prize. It was published worldwide and translated into several languages. Gaynor's short story collection Lying Together, partly based on her experiences as a social worker, came out in 2011 and was longlisted for the Edge Hill Prize. Her second novel, After Such Kindness (exploring the relationship between Lewis Carroll and his child-muse Alice) was published in 2012. Gaynor has also co-edited The Sea in Birmingham with Julia Bell.
