Peter Nichols is the author of the bestselling novel The Rocks, and the international bestsellers A Voyage for Madmen(finalist for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year), Evolution's Captain, and three other books of fiction, memoir, and non-fiction. His novel Lodestar was nominated for the Dublin IMPAC literary award. He has taught creative writing at a number of universities, including Georgetown University, Bowdoin College, New York University in Paris, and Antioch University Los Angeles. Before turning to writing full time, he held a 100 ton USCG Ocean Operator's licence and was a professional yacht delivery skipper for 10 years. He has also worked in advertising in London, as a screenwriter in Los Angeles, been a shepherd in Wales, and sailed alone in a small boat across the Atlantic.