John Byron grew up in Sydney where he went to medical school for a time before leaving in the interest of the public safety. He has worked as a barman, a factory hand, a help desk operator and a federal political adviser. He now lives in Melbourne and works in the university sector. His writing has appeared in The Australian, Meanjin, The Australian Book Review, The Conversation, Time Out and Rip It Up. The Tribute is his first novel and was shortlisted for the prestigious Victoria Premier’s Literary Award for an Unpublished Manuscript in 2019.