Ben was born and brought up in South London. He had a 20-year career as a researcher, editor and policy analyst, working for the Foreign Office and Chatham House and specializing in conflict and politics in Central Africa, while secretly (and slowly) writing a book about magic, vampires and organized crime. He now writes for a living, and spends his free time running and cycling around London's forgotten corners, thinking up stories. He still lives in South London with his wife and daughter.