Glen James Brown was born and raised in County Durham. His first novel Ironopolis—about the demise of Teesside social housing and its impact of memory, identity, and folklore—was published in 2018 by Parthian Books.

Hailed by The Guardian as ‘nothing short of a triumph,’ Ironopolis was shortlisted for the 2019 Orwell Prize for Political Fiction, as well as the 2020 Portico Prize. He is currently based in Manchester.