Jan Bondeson is a senior lecturer and consultant rheumatologist at Cardiff University. His has written many critically acclaimed books include ANIMAL FREAKS ('Delightful' ALI SMITH, 'Animal magic' TLS), THE LONDON MONSTER ('Gripping... an 18th-century detective story of the most piquant kind' THE GUARDIAN) and the best-selling BURIED ALIVE: THE TERRIFYING HISTORY OF OUR MOST PRIMAL FEAR ('A little masterpiece of social history' THE MAIL ON SUNDAY). He lives in Newport in Wales.