BIOGRAPHY

Hector Macdonald began writing at 24, and that first book drew on his experiences at Oxford University and his childhood on the Kenyan coast. The success of The Mind Game, which was published in 18 languages and twice optioned for film, allowed him to write full-time.

He has made good use of the freedom that a writing lifestyle affords, travelling the world in search of new ideas and interesting places. The Hummingbird Saint was set in a fictional Central American country, based loosely on Nicaragua, El Salvador and Costa Rica. Written in the run-up to the invasion of Iraq, it told the story of a wealthy American trying to impose a new moral order on a troubled corner of the world, his good intentions leading only to corruption, tyranny and violence.

In 1998, Hector Macdonald spent two months working on a game reserve in the Kalahari. During that time, he heard about a local witchdoctor who had predicted the death of a British man well known to the staff there. The prophecy was dramatically fulfilled a few weeks later. Impressed and intrigued, he sketched out the story of a boy who may or may not be able to see the future. On a visit to Australia, at the end of 2002, he watched the start of the Sydney Hobart yacht race and realised this would be the perfect setting for the story.

The Storm Prophet took two years to write, and yielded an unexpected bonus in the form of its heroine, the coastguard Petra Woods. In a world where physically-active heroes are routinely gun-toting men, Petra's quiet competence, complex emotions and absolute focus on saving life make a refreshing change.

Hector Macdonald lives in London, and is currently working on a second Petra Woods novel. He is 34 years old.