Matthew Allcock was born in Canterbury in 1986. He has lived most of his adult life in Whitstable, Kent where he grew up and in London, where he is now based, and where he studied English at Goldsmiths.

At university, Matthew achieved the highest mark in his year. A writer of literary prose and poetry for several years, Matthew was long-listed for the Cinnamon Debut Poetry Collection Prize in 2012 and for the Cardiff Review Short Story Award in 2016.

His short stories and poems have been published widely in online zines and blogs including the London Journal of Fiction and Jotters Utd. Matthew has travelled extensively, namely to China where he taught English for two years.
Matthew makes music under the name Lipsis, and already has three albums released.
 

The Man on the Train is his first published novel.