Graeme Gibson was born in London, Ontario, in 1934 and died in London, England in 2019. He published his first novel, Five Legs, in 1969. He also wrote Perpetual Motion, Gentleman Death, and The Bedside Book of Beasts. A long-time cultural activist, he co-founded both the Writers’ Trust of Canada and Writers’ Union of Canada. Gibson was a recipient of the Harbourfront Festival Prize, the Toronto Arts Award, and the Writers’ Trust Distinguished Contribution Award. A member of the Order of Canada and long time conservationist, he was chairman of the Pelee Island Bird Observatory and Joint Honorary President, with his wife Margaret Atwood, of BirdLife International’s Rare Bird Club.