Winner of the Kindle Storyteller Award 2019

Born at an early age, Ian W Sainsbury quickly learned to talk about himself in the third person, meaning a career in the arts was all but inevitable. In 1987, he ran away from university to join the circus, playing in a band providing accompaniment for monkeys riding on pigs.

Finding it hard to match such early success, Ian played piano on cruise ships before spending over a decade singing in European piano bars. He also ran (and still does) a choir or two, singing pop stuff in a pub.

The next career move was obvious, and no one was surprised when Ian spent five years as a stand-up comic. He also began writing music and material for ventriloquist Paul Zerdin, including co-writing Zerdin’s Vegas show in 2016.

After music, circuses, puppets, comedy and choirs, Ian pooled his earnings to date and was able to buy a palatial two-man tent and a skateboard. It was at this point that he decided the world might be ready for a novel or two.

Since his debut The World Walker was self-published in 2016, Ian has discovered he is one of those people who can do what he loves for a living without having to sell a kidney. He has now sold over 170,000 books across all editions. His debut psychological thriller The Picture on the Fridge won the Kindle Storyteller award in 2019.

In February 2019, he signed a three-book Audible exclusive deal with Audible UK. The first book will be released in early 2020.

He lives in East Anglia with Mrs S, two children, and a flatulent dog.