Patrick Allington is a writer, editor, critic and researcher. His interests include literature, Cambodia, the history of books, and contemporary Australian and international politics. Allington has a Phd in Creative Writing (University of Adelaide) and a Masters in Politics by Research (University of Adelaide). He is also a Member of the Australian Society of Authors, PEN, and the South Australian Writers' Centre. Patrick's critical writings appear regularly in Australian Book Review, The Monthly, The Advertiser and elsewhere. His short fiction and essays have appeared in Griffith REVIEW, Southerly, Altitude (online) and in anthologies. Figurehead is his first novel.